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Ownership-Focused Design

Wamberski, Filip LU (2026) IDEM05 20261
Industrial Design
Abstract
This thesis investigates how contemporary product
design can restore and redefine ownership in a
landscape increasingly shaped by closed ecosystems,
proprietary standards, and restricted user agency. As
digital and physical products shift toward subscription
models, sealed components, and controlled repair
environments, ownership becomes vague. Users
possess objects but lack the ability to maintain,
adapt, or meaningfully influence them. In response,
this research proposes an ownership focused design
approach.
The project develops a design philosophy and a series
of artifacts that embody this principle. Central to
the work is the creation of a manifesto object: a pen
designed to accept the majority of standard ballpoint
and... (More)
This thesis investigates how contemporary product
design can restore and redefine ownership in a
landscape increasingly shaped by closed ecosystems,
proprietary standards, and restricted user agency. As
digital and physical products shift toward subscription
models, sealed components, and controlled repair
environments, ownership becomes vague. Users
possess objects but lack the ability to maintain,
adapt, or meaningfully influence them. In response,
this research proposes an ownership focused design
approach.
The project develops a design philosophy and a series
of artifacts that embody this principle. Central to
the work is the creation of a manifesto object: a pen
designed to accept the majority of standard ballpoint
and gel refills on the market. Rather than establishing
a proprietary ecosystem, the pen integrates into
existing ones, demonstrating how compatibility,
openness, and adaptability can function as deliberate
design strategies.
The project argues that by designing objects that
extend the life and functionality of what users
already own, designers can strengthen ownership,
reduce waste, and take greater responsibility for how
ownership is supported in the products they create (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Wamberski, Filip LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Design that expands user’s agency.
course
IDEM05 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
ownership, user agency, personal autonomy in product use, long‑term product lifespan, reparability, user empowerment, product longevity, ownership lifecycle, enshittification, right to repair
language
English
id
9248080
date added to LUP
2026-08-20 15:03:11
date last changed
2026-08-20 15:03:11
@misc{9248080,
  abstract     = {{This thesis investigates how contemporary product
design can restore and redefine ownership in a
landscape increasingly shaped by closed ecosystems,
proprietary standards, and restricted user agency. As
digital and physical products shift toward subscription
models, sealed components, and controlled repair
environments, ownership becomes vague. Users
possess objects but lack the ability to maintain,
adapt, or meaningfully influence them. In response,
this research proposes an ownership focused design
approach.
The project develops a design philosophy and a series
of artifacts that embody this principle. Central to
the work is the creation of a manifesto object: a pen
designed to accept the majority of standard ballpoint
and gel refills on the market. Rather than establishing
a proprietary ecosystem, the pen integrates into
existing ones, demonstrating how compatibility,
openness, and adaptability can function as deliberate
design strategies.
The project argues that by designing objects that
extend the life and functionality of what users
already own, designers can strengthen ownership,
reduce waste, and take greater responsibility for how
ownership is supported in the products they create}},
  author       = {{Wamberski, Filip}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Ownership-Focused Design}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}