Dave Hakkens, a Dutch designer and a recent graduate of the Design Academy Eindhoven, was inspired to design the Phonebloks mobile phone prototype in 2012 when his cellphone camera broke. When he took it to get it fixed, he found that only one component—the lens motor—was damaged, and yet no one would replace it; the only advice he received was to buy a new phone. A phone composed of parts that could easily be switched out and replaced, he reasoned, would add to the longevity of the device and curb the flow of so-called e-waste to landfills. What remains to be seen is whether carriers and phone manufacturers, which count on planned obsolescence, will get behind the idea. Image courtesy of Phonebloks. Photo 5 of 6 in Young Designers Make an impression at Design Indaba by William Lamb

Young Designers Make an impression at Design Indaba

5 of 6

Dave Hakkens, a Dutch designer and a recent graduate of the Design Academy Eindhoven, was inspired to design the Phonebloks mobile phone prototype in 2012 when his cellphone camera broke. When he took it to get it fixed, he found that only one component—the lens motor—was damaged, and yet no one would replace it; the only advice he received was to buy a new phone. A phone composed of parts that could easily be switched out and replaced, he reasoned, would add to the longevity of the device and curb the flow of so-called e-waste to landfills. What remains to be seen is whether carriers and phone manufacturers, which count on planned obsolescence, will get behind the idea. Image courtesy of Phonebloks.