Wordpress of objects: addressing layman participation in a post-industrial society

Abstract

In this paper a perspective on layman participation in the design of everyday products is presented. The development of digital fabrication technologies such as 3D printing enables an increasing involvement of the layman in appropriating the performance of objects to their own needs and desires. The question is how professional designers as well as laymen deal with openness in product design. An analogy is made with the content management system Wordpress to discuss how could be dealt with openness in a toolkit that addresses multiple skill levels of its users.