Kara

Long description

To open a broken electrical appliance and replace the right parts is a daunting task. So when your coffee machine eventually gives out, it’s no wonder that instead of fixing it, you replace it. A bad habit, as only one fifth of our discarded electric goods actually get recycled.

Kara is a break from this trend, and shows an alternative way of designing and building electronics. One that looks at the entire life cycle, that encourages maintenance and repairability, and that focuses on keeping as many resources as possible out of landfill.

Repairing the most common failure points does not require specialised tools, and can be done easily and safely by a layman even without much technical knowledge. The housing is designed so every part can be 3D printed if you don’t have access to original replacement parts, and technical components can be replaced or substituted because they are part of an open system.

Kara also heavily leans into design cues to communicate its repairability. The front is what users interact with day to day, while the back is dedicated to maintenance and repair. Internals are shown off, not hidden. Labels indicate clearly when something is in the right place. Aligning magnets make assembly a breeze. And the user manual explains each step simply and logically.

Kara doesn’t intimidate, it makes you want to open it. It’s the blueprint for a new design standard for all appliances, one for which repairing just makes more sense.

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