Designing electronics for a circular economy is a challenge—but one worth embracing. Building a circular model requires both the vision and the infrastructure to support it. While there’s no single solution, OEMs can take practical steps toward circular design. That’s why we were thrilled to contribute to Accenture’s Circular Electronics Design Guide.
This guide provides a roadmap for OEMs in consumer electronics, packed with advice from researchers, practitioners, and trailblazing OEMs. It’s an invaluable resource for anyone looking to implement sustainable practices in electronics.
At iFixit, we’re committed to helping OEMs succeed in building a sustainable future—providing the technology we love while protecting our planet. We’re proud to have contributed to this guide and hope it helps OEMs on their journey.
Working with many OEMs through iFixit’s Solutions team, I’ve seen firsthand what it takes to create a strong repair ecosystem—the innermost loop of a circular model. One key lesson: communication is make or break. Even the best repair ecosystems fail if they’re not communicated effectively.
Below, I share tips for impactful communication, but that’s just one piece of the puzzle. For more insights and resources, explore the Circular Electronics Design Guide. And if you’re an OEM needing support with repair ecosystems, circular design, or Right to Repair compliance, our Solutions team is ready to help.
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Talking Points: How Communication Powers Repair
Every OEM should strive to create a robust repair ecosystem—supplying the tools, spare parts, information, and other resources necessary to empower customers to fix what’s broken. Commonly, OEMs expect that simply creating a repair ecosystem will be sufficient—that if there is a repair option in place, people will use it. But while a functional repair ecosystem is what enables repair, it doesn’t inherently make it practical, successful, or even frequently used.
The success of any repair ecosystem hinges on effective communication—both internally and externally—at key points. All companies have resources and communication strategies for enticing customers to buy new; these same tools should be employed in encouraging users to repair. As an organization that supports OEMs in the development of their repair ecosystems, we at iFixit have seen many examples of what works and what doesn’t. Here are some key strategies for success.
Before the Repair
Create a culture of repair internally. Each repair offering and its messaging should be authentic and aligned with the company’s mission, goals, and core values. As with any company initiative, there should be clearly defined goals, objectives, and metrics around the development, deployment, and operation of a repair ecosystem.
Emphasize why repair matters to create meaning. Repair connects people with objects. The act of repair creates an emotional connection to the product and loyalty to the brand. This connection creates meaning, and meaning is what drives decision making—both for the internal team and the user.
Identify and clearly articulate how repair resonates with the specific user base. For example, a gear company with core values around protecting the environment and enjoying the outdoors likely has a user base that will resonate with repair from the angle of how it protects the environment and conserves natural resources. A high-tech company that creates flashy gaming hardware with an emphasis on customer experience likely has a user base more interested in repair from a customization and upgrade perspective. The more specific the reasons, the better.
Define the right resources needed for the specific users. Users, or the designated repair providers (authorized or independent), need parts, tools, information, and other resources to complete a repair. Understanding where repairers are located, what skills they bring (vs. what skills they need for the repair), and how they interact with the product will help define what resources to make available and how to access them. Enticing users to attempt repairs begins by meeting them where they are and making the process easy—ideally the path of least resistance.
Prime the user for repair. Users need to know repair is not only possible, but encouraged—long before they ever need the repair. It is incumbent on the developers of a repair ecosystem to prime the user to think “I should fix this” or “I should get this fixed” when something breaks. Priming can include things like: providing repair information with the packaging, marketing the product as repairable, advertising the repair ecosystem, creating campaigns around repairs, or showcasing repairs alongside the product. Other options include highlighting the environmental benefits of repairs, showing repairers as heroes, and creating dedicated web pages to support repair. Creating content to communicate that repair is not only possible, but preferred, is key.
Entice the user to repair. All companies have resources for enticing users to buy a product—those same resources should be applied to encourage users to repair their product. Make repair attractive and fashionable by highlighting customization and personalization (e.g. colored replacement parts, special features, upgrades). Counter the prevailing “just buy new, new is best” messaging by showing ways in which a repaired product is better or more desirable than a new one. Use things like patches, stickers, or other visual elements in the repair—reminiscent of the Japanese art of kintsugi, which makes something broken more beautiful by means of repair.
Clearly define who (or which team) has ownership for each piece of communication. If everyone is responsible, no one is. It can be helpful to have defined goals, repair principles, or guiding questions to ensure efforts are effective and internally aligned. These should be part of an internal communication plan that is supported and reinforced by management.
During the Repair
Proactively communicate where and how to get resources and support. When it comes time to actually sit down to do the repair, it should be obvious where resources are and how to engage them.
Be transparent about risks (if any). Communicating risk is a delicate balance between encouraging the user to undertake a repair while being transparent about possible outcomes. If an improper repair could damage the product or harm the user, forewarned is forearmed. Risks should be framed in a positive light—For example, “Use the correct tools to avoid accidental ESD damage during your repair” rather than “Attempting this repair can cause damage and/or loss of function due to ESD.”
Use positive language to help combat “Fixophobia”—that is, the all-too-common fear of even attempting to fix something. Many people hesitate to repair for fear of failing or making things worse—to the point where they will leave something broken and unused for fear of it being more broken and unused. While seemingly illogical, this fear stems from a lot of societal messaging. It’s always better to attempt a repair than to leave something broken and discarded—and this messaging needs to be addressed head-on to encourage users.
Provide support during the repair process. Hotlines, AR repair guides, and other digital assistance can be successful strategies to support repairs while they are underway. Ideally, OEMs should explicitly offer support even after a failed or botched repair. Assuring users that they will have help—even if things don’t go as planned—helps them feel safe in the attempt. For example, we have seen several companies specifically call out in their warranty policy that attempted repair does not void the warranty.
Clearly communicate what information the user should collect during the repair. Photos, serial numbers, error codes, specs—whatever the user needs to collect should be communicated at the start of the repair. Provide tools, guidance, and support—even something as simple as a checklist helps gather critical information.
After the Repair
Recognize successful repairs. There is a common misconception that once a repair is completed, the job is done. In truth, the user experience continues—with one of the most valuable touchpoints coming afterward. Offering congratulations, asking repairers to post on social media or in discussion forums, or creating “share your repair” style contests all reinforce the culture of repair, bolstering the ecosystem to feed back on itself. Amplify these stories by reposting or using them in marketing. It can also help to offer rewards—even small things like stickers, patches, badges, and pins act as important symbols of the value of repair.
Consider building momentum for more unique, repair-centered opportunities. Once a culture of repair is established, we’ve seen great success in companies offering a repair pop-up shop, a mobile repair vehicle, repair events, artists’ collaborations with repairers, repaired product sales, supporting youth repair events, and offering repair training programs. With a strong foundational repair ecosystem, the sky is the limit.
Keep everyone across product teams informed and in sync. Beware of messaging that thwarts repair goals, which often comes from internal departments who are not aligned and consistently communicating. For example, we’ve seen repair-friendly, color-coded screws or pictograms on a product covered over with stickers, customer service teams dissuading users with anti-repair messaging that goes against the plan (or sometimes not being informed at all), and public statements against repair from leadership. Whatever you do, it is important that everyone across the product teams is informed and on board.
Create a communication plan for long-term success. As repairs are completed, track metrics and progress on KPIs. Communicating progress internally can galvanize team motivation, problem solving, and direction. Sharing selected metrics externally can also help to build a sense of belonging in users—making them feel that their repair contributes to a greater cause.
While this list is by no means exhaustive, we find these principles to be foundational—a good starting place for developing messaging to support and enable user repair. When fully embraced, these strategies help build a strong, cohesive communication plan for an active, thriving repair ecosystem.
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