Why We Don’t Design to Last

 Products That Lasted — and Why They’re Rare Today

A light bulb in a California fire station has been glowing continuously since 1901.
It’s called the Centennial Bulb — still burning bright after 120+ years.

Back home in India, early Godrej and Kelvinator refrigerators from the 1970s and 80s are still running in many homes — built with simple mechanics, replaceable parts, and solid engineering.

Clearly, we know how to make things that last.
The question is — why did we stop?

The Shift: From Purpose to Profit

Design used to be about solving long-term problems.
Today, it’s often about sustaining short-term profits.

Planned obsolescence — designing products with intentionally short lifespans — has become an unspoken business strategy.

We see it every day:

• Phones that stop receiving updates after three years.

• Appliances that fail soon after the warranty period ends.

• Components sealed or glued, making repair nearly impossible.

The result? A constant loop of replacement — and a mountain of waste.

When Profit and Planet Collide

When profit and planet pull in opposite directions, design becomes the deciding factor.

In India, e-waste generation crossed 1.6 million tons in 2023, growing by over 30% every year.
Much of this comes from products that could have lasted longer — but weren’t designed to.

Shorter lifecycles may keep factories busy and investors happy, but they strain natural resources, increase carbon emissions, and add to India’s already overwhelmed waste systems.

It’s time to ask: are we innovating, or just upgrading waste faster?

Design Is Not Neutral

Every design decision is a moral one.

When a company glues instead of screws — repairability dies.
When spare parts are made proprietary — independence dies.
When marketing convinces consumers that “new” means “better” — accountability dies.

Design isn’t just about form and function — it’s about impact.

 Signs of Change: Responsible Design in Action

Not all companies are following the same path. A growing number are proving that sustainability and profitability can co-exist:

• Fairphone (Netherlands) builds modular, repairable smartphones with long life cycles.

• Patagonia encourages customers to repair, reuse, and rethink consumption.

• IKEA is testing reuse and buy-back programs worldwide.

• Tetra Pak, once criticized for difficult-to-recycle packaging, now works with recyclers like Shriman Ecocycle, and others in India to convert used cartons into durable boards, furniture, and roofing sheets.

In India, a few startups are exploring right-to-repair, refurbishment ecosystems, and circular manufacturing — redefining what “progress” means in design.

 The Reflection

If the only reason to buy a new phone is that it’s slimmer — maybe we need to rethink our choices.
And if that’s the only way a company can sell it — maybe they need to rethink theirs.

We already have the knowledge and technology to design for longevity — we’ve done it before.
The question is not can we, it’s will we.

Because design doesn’t just shape products.
It shapes the planet.