Fairphone 3
Project Details
A modular smartphone designed for repair and longevity. The Fairphone 3 is the first original design manufacture for Fairphone, created in Amsterdam.
The Fairphone 3 is an ethical, modular smartphone designed to combat e-waste and promote sustainability. Launched in 2019, it features a unique repairable design with seven user-replaceable modules, allowing owners to easily swap out components like the battery, screen, or camera using a standard screwdriver. Manufactured with responsibly sourced, conflict-free materials and Fairtrade gold, it prioritizes fair labor practices. The Fairphone 3 represents a bold, significant step toward a circular economy in consumer electronics.
Responsibilities
Industrial Design
3D design - shape and physical UI studies
Prototyping - Proof of concept designs, “looks like, works like” model making.
Design for manufacture and Colour, Material & Finish
App Design - iOS/Android
Visual Brand Language - colour schemes, visual style, interaction animations
Visualisation
Marketing renders
Marketing animation and crowdfunding campaign
Ethical Design
Balancing the principles of repairability with the constraints of pocket-size ergonomics was a major challenge. Apple has created an expectation that all technology should be thin, sealed, and increasingly disposable. The Fairphone aesthetic is built on the need to easily access a faulty component and swap it ina replacement with minimal screws and snap-fits along the way.
