The emergence of Industry 4.0, the global shift away from fossil fuels, the climate crisis, overconsumption and wealth centralisation have all raised questions about the nature and culture of the products we buy. Distributed Design explores alternatives to mass production and the linear consumption models of Industrialisation. It focuses on the movement of data (bits not atoms), the use of local material supply chains and digital fabrication, as an alternative way of moving materials and goods from producer to consumer.
Distributed Design is an outcome of the intersection of two global trends: the Maker Movement and the digitisation of the discipline of design. This convergence has lead to the rise of a new market, in which creative individuals have access to digital tools that allow them to design, produce and fabricate products themselves and easily connect to a global network of collaborators.
Distributed Design promotes sustainable production and consumption. It examines supply chains, product distribution and fabrication and re-orients the designer towards ‘zero kilometre supply chains, open-source distribution and the circular economy.
Bringing transparency to the design and manufacture process and allowing access to processes through co-design and customisation can provide consumers with more control over their final products by allowing them a voice in the production process. Working with open design paradigms and innovative business models radically changes power structures.
We promote an an ecosystemic approach to both online and offline tools which can connect designers, makers, manufacturers, and markets. We promote platforms and toolkits that help designers to go from idea to prototype, and from prototype to products and markets.
Distributed Design changes the entire nature of the way that goods are manufactured and transported.
| Centralised design and manufacture | Distributed Design |
|---|---|
| Manufactured in several countries on the opposite side of the world from the consumer | Manufactured within several miles of the consumer |
| Manufactured by people who are often poorly treated | Manufactured by local makers |
| Delivered to the consumer through extensive logistics chain e.g. Amazon | Delivered to the consumer by cargo bike, local post or personal collection |
| Intellectual property is owned by a central company | Open-source design |
| Profit goes to shareholders of large companies | Profit distributed across smaller organisations and individuals |
| Top down instruction from the top of the system | Collaboration between nodes in the system |
