Project:
SWIFT Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
Year:
2024
Duration:
1 month
Overview
The Right to Repair movement exposes a fundamental flaw in modern products: they're designed to fail. This project challenges this by embracing modularity, accessibility, and longevity - proving sustainability and great design can coexist. By rejecting glued assemblies and proprietary parts, this vacuum celebrates user empowerment through intuitive maintenance. It's not just a product, but a step toward ending disposable culture, one repairable appliance at a time.
Problem
Conventional handheld electronics are frequently designed as sealed, single-life units. Their operational lifespans are often cut short by non-repairable key components, such as a degraded battery or failed motor, which render the entire product obsolete. Furthermore, these products are typically assembled with adhesives and composite materials that complicate disassembly, ensuring they ultimately contribute to electronic waste in landfills.
Solution
SWIFT addresses these flaws through a modular and user-centred design. Its architecture prioritises repairability by housing the battery and motor in easily replaceable, slide-in modules, supported by a QR code system for accessing guides and parts. Durability is enhanced through material selection like ABS and PC, alongside design features such as structural ribbing and strategic venting for thermal management. Finally, the product is designed for a responsible end-of-life; it can be disassembled without tools or adhesives, allowing for the clean separation of materials for proper recycling.
