No. 3 2012

Magazine for a sustainable economy © istockphoto.com ©

Thema Do-it-yourself From Hand Axes to 3D Printers Standing on One’s Own Feet Should you really DIY? About restrictions and creativity DIY – Contours of a new living and economic culture Subsistence Reloaded – For More Sustainability?! Becoming a DIY enthusiast: how to turn an idea into a sustainable company Brew it yourself! The Aesthetics of Do-It-Yourself Medium: factory Magazin Format: 297x210 mm + 3 mm Beschnitt, 4c DU: 26.9.12

Die Verantwortung fürs Geld kann man am Bankschalter abgeben, muss man aber nicht.

Geld ist ein soziales Gestaltungsmittel — wenn wir es gemeinsam dazu machen.

Machen Sie’s gut! Werden Sie

Mitglied. e .d ls .g w ww

das macht Sinn Editorial

© Henrik Stromberg self isnotjustself anattitude. enon, doing more yourself others. anddoing with ittogether Do-it-your digitally, your doing somethingwith hands isagrowing phenom- social paid full-timework. In times, these can done be whennearly everything there isatrend towards working people more, notrefer andthisdoes to the ‘green’ topics ofthefeature pages over years. thelast two No doubt access to itandissaid notbad toat be all. Its recipe has published by been theWhiteHouse, has that so everyone bees’ aHoney President Brown theUS honey, Ale. brews hisownbeer: garden, sheispromoting theconceptofcommunity gardens. With the garden at theWhiteHouse beehives. some andadded By planting this Michelle Obama isinto DIY, asisherhusband. The First Lady planted a Do-it- More Urban gardening, do-it-yourself andthecollaborative revolution are Y ourself - Editorial

In fab labs, hacker spaces or repair cafés, a cul- tured and self-confident elite encounters people whose financial and manual skills are not sufficient to have something done or to do it themselves. In Greece, even entire hospitals are built by the do-it- yourself method nowadays. Part of the economy is changing: typical con- sumers are becoming prosumers who co-design and co-produce as companies turn part of the value chain over to them. Entrepreneurs have dis- covered that a high degree of manufacturing pen-

etration helps them to cater to clients’ wishes in a © Henrik Stromberg flexible way. They are more productive if prosum- ers help them. If there are new technologies like 3D printers, the relation between consumers and pro- ducers can shift even further – to one side as well as to the other side. It will change in any case. And Artists are DIY enthusiasts by definition. If most of them did not put their ideas into if, on top of that, resource protection and sustain- practice themselves, there would be no art. The Sewing Room by István Csásny, one of the highlights of this years’ dOCUMENTA (13), puts emphasis on the relationship between able development become the focus of DIY enthu- crafts and art. Sewing machines, ironing boards, neon tubes, cables and cotton reels siasts, … oh, they already have? Well then, have fun are hand-carved out of wood; the mannequins wear elegant blue overalls. The life- homebrewing! sized machines and tools conjure up the image of a disused factory; the end of a type of work that has disappeared.

Ralf Bindel, Editor

Translated by Christin Schell, Melanie Haschka Content

3 More Do-it-Yourself

6 Facts and Numbers

9 Word Cloud

10 From Hand Axes to 3D Printers

17 Standing on One’s Own Feet

24 Should you really DIY? About restrictions and creativity

30 DIY – Contours of a new living and economic culture

33 Subsistence Reloaded – For More Sustainability?!

41 Becoming a DIY enthusiast: how to turn an idea into a sustainable company

47 Brew it yourself!

55 The Aesthetics of Do-It-Yourself

59 Imprint

33 17 47 10 Thema 6 › Facts and numbers 348x106 Germany does not have just one, but 348 million screws loose. This 4321 is the result of an estimate made by Forsa on the behalf of Bosch. The 30 largest German DIY superstore 86 percent of the 1,000 people questioned are planning to tighten 300 Currently, Germans spend EUR 300 on chains have 4,321 locations; 15 years ago the screws. Source: www.presseportal.de/pm/74672 average for DIY projects in order to keep they only had 2,414. The 10 biggest dis- their households or houses in good con- counters have 15,898 stores in Germany. dition, from painting walls to complete Source: Dähne-Verlag, Baumarktzahlen roofing jobs. Hiring a professional would 2011 (Dähne publishing house, DIY super- cost approximately EUR 2,000. store numbers 2011) Source: GfK Living & Retail, BHB 2011

40%The power tool sector is especially concentrated in Baden-Wurttemberg and especially in the region around Stuttgart that is unique for Germany. Almost 6 40 percent of the world market are realized by compa- nies like AEG Electric Tools (Winnenden), Baier (As- perg), Bosch (Leinfelden, Murrhardt), Fein (Stuttgart, 24A simple glued laminated timber board and 6x10In 2003, Bosch was the first manufacturer 24 hours is all you need for the 24 Euro chair, to use the lithium-ion technology for Schwäbisch Gmünd), Festool (Wendlingen, Neidlingen), a high-quality, timeless piece of DIY-furni- battery-powered power tools. By 2007, six Flex (Steinheim), Metabo (Nürtingen). ture by the architect Le van Bo from the se- million cordless screwdrivers of the Ixo Source: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elektrowerkzeug ries Hartz IV (German labour market reform model that uses this technology had been of 2005 that regulates and brings together sold. Therefore, this screwdriver is the unemployment and social security benefits) best-selling power tool worldwide since – producing instead of consuming. Source: 2004. www.hartzivmoebel.blogspot.de/ Source: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Robert_Bosch_GmbH Thema 7 › Facts and Numbers 2012 Right now, there are still 1,916 urban com- 2800 Expli.de, one of the largest DIY-community munity gardens, but by the end of 2012, there platforms, which was founded by DIY enthusi- are supposed to be 2012. Under the ambigu- asts in 2008, provides 2,800 instructions in ous title of Capital Growth, the City of Lon- 10 categories reaching from arts and crafts don helps to build new gardens in the city to learning and love. Source: www.expli.de 2126 that deliver foods. Over 40,000 people are The number of commercial breweries in the participating. USA has increased from 89 to 2,126 in the last Source: www.capitalgrowth.org 33 years. 100 years ago, there were already nearly 2,000 breweries. 1,300 breweries are currently being planned. The boom of the North American Craft-Beer-Breweries and the crea- tion of 100,000 new jobs can be attributed to the hobby brewers. 75 Source: www.brewersassociation.org Blogs and websites on the DIY exhibit website, ranging from 0.2 bausteln.de to wawerko.de, invite Work done by women in relation to people to rummage. work done by men amounts to 0.2 Source: www.diy-ausstellung.de when it comes to construction and trades, 2.3 when it comes to house- 8The companies with the highest manu- work and gardening, 2.1 when it facturing penetration have more than an comes to support and caring for other eight percent advantage in productivity household members, and 1.6 when it compared to the average of the industry. comes to unpaid work in general. Companies with a low manufacturing Source: Arbeitsteilung zwischen penetration are around four percent be- Männern und Frauen. Alltag in 40%German men spend 40 percent of their working time low this average. DIY and Insourcing can Deutschland, Forum der Bundesstatis- (including unpaid and paid work) for family and house- therefore mean an advantage in productiv- tik 2004 (Division of labour between work, whether there are children in the household or ity of more than 10 percentage points. men and women. Daily life in Germany. not. This share increases from 60 percent to 80 per- Source: Fraunhofer-ISI, PI.Mitteilung Nr. Forum of the Federal Statistics 2004) cent for women if they live together with children. 48, 2009 (Fraunhofer Institute for Systems Source: Alltag in Deutschland, Forum der Bun- and Innovation Research, PI-statement#48, desstatistik 2004 (Daily life in Germany, Forum of 2009) Federal Statistics 2004) Translated by Christin Schell, Melanie Haschka Thema 8 "Thus the hand is not only the organ of labour, it is also the product of labour.

Only by labour, by adaptation to ever new operations, by inheritance of the resulting special development of muscles, ligaments, and, over longer periods of time, bones as well, and by the ever-renewed employ- ment of these inherited improvements in new, more and more complicated operations, has the human hand attained the high degree of perfection that has enabled it to conjure into being the pictures of Raph- ael, the statues of Thorwaldsen, the music of Paganini.

But the hand did not exist by itself. It was only one member of an entire, highly complex organism. And what benefited the hand, benefited also the whole body it served; and this in two ways."

Friedrich Engels, The Part Played by Labour in the Transition from Ape to Man, in Dialectics of Nature, Karl Marx/Friedrich Engels - Foreign Language Publishing House, Moscow, 1963 Thema 9

Translated by Christin Schell, Melanie Haschka © istockphoto.com Thema 10 10 Translated by Stefanie Scheu, Antje Boldt, Caroline Hutter Caroline Boldt, Antje Scheu, Stefanie by Translated RalfBy Bindel production. develops customer,the more and more latter the ideas for home world in production which their to businesses of transfer part our everydaymachines, of life. part are and In Ikea, a Wikipedia Do-it-yourself ticket ATMs, is anew, stores, old DIY trend. yet to 3D Printers F rom Hand Axes Thema 11 >F 11 a resolution of0.1millimetres. Nowa- printer ‘Replicator II’, which can achieve manufacturer, presented itslatest 3D is changing. Makerbot, theNew York says Jens. post-treatment," some still need pieces printers are notyet The fully developed. munity agree: "The build-it-yourself community. Themembers ofthecom- piece." says Laurenz oftheLabor hacker out, just we asimilarly printed shaped the rollers of our dishwasher were worn manufacturing spare parts. "When at: there isonething are they really good big differenceperformance. in However, which cost EUR 50,000,theredustry, isa compared their‘big brothers’ with in- at start EUR 1,500,but Prices the world. called fablabs andallover inGermany and probably inmost otherso- also Garage Bilk, agarage lab inDüsseldorf, community asin inBochum aswell at oftheLabor hacker theheadquarters technological achievement. There isone generation, 3Dprinters are thelatest CNC-machines represent thenewDIY hackerspaces, where laser-cutters and In high-tech-workplaces theopen and rom Hand Axes to 3D Printers 3D to Axes Hand rom However, the 3Dprinting industry time. turing four ofmetalat types thesame compartment andcapable ofmanufac printers that are asbig asanentire train ceramic andmetal;giant Australian cheap 3Dpowderof printers forpieces 3Dprinters online;theredistributed are days, there issoftware that can control by Every manu using technology. laser - and functional components internally businesses already manufacture tools on-demand print production. Today, example development prototypes or produce more fortheirownuse, for tosiasts technologies can these use had in1970. ing power asentire of floors mainframes smartphone contains asmuch process and even ormeat. weapons Today, every printthemselves,will numerous parts ganized processes. In future, theprinters reduce thematerial intensity ofself-or killer application p. (see 30)that could Trend researchers call the3Dprinter a 3d printers through Independence Businesses asDIY-enthu aswell - - - -

© istockphoto.com © istockphoto.com Thema 12 >F 12 do handicrafts increased from 21 mil- whereas thenumber whonever of those five years. amount They to45million, not changed significantly over the last to no moreweek than onceamonth has handicraft several work times a between over 14-year-old whoperform Germans has increased to 4321.The number of last 15years andthenumber ofstores stores has doubled to EUR 30bnover the DIY volume ofthe30largest German ofunpaid work.nomic sector The sales 1950s inEngland,- has aneco become DIY movement, which emergedinthe kets formost business analysts. The that represents thesuccess ofDIYmar DIY isstill arather oldbusiness model of high-tech-DIY has only just begun. bate about onthe theeffects resources still visions ofthefuture andthe de- DIYcompaniesfully developed, are are internally. now performed more andmore production processes es. Following theout-sourcing boom, steps that consume additional resourc productsof semi-finished orprocessing manufacturing, working theuse without facturing company rapid isfamiliar with rom Hand Axes to 3D Printers 3D to Axes Hand rom But the3Dprinters are notyet - - men. more unpaid perform women work than that ofpaid work. At thesame time, amount ofunpaid work isgreater than likely to doitthemselves. Basically, the whohavethose more timeare more sleeves andtackle tasks. In addition, anyway, are more likely to roll uptheir that theirhands whowork those with in thecommercial sector. Thismeans thanthemselves whodonotwork those produce sector trial three timesmore that businesses working intheindus man Federal Statistical Office,seems it the timebudget by conducted theGer assess. According to the2001study on many, asanation ofDIY, are difficult to lion to 25million. Doing-it-Yourself AwarenessThe of since 2003.Although more andmore morewith than 1.5millionunits sold Ixodriver isthebest-selling power tool er tools, even ifBosch’s cordless screw- pow- owns atoolbox fullofunnecessary We cannot assumehousehold that every The effects ontheThe effects resources Ger in - - - Thema 13 >F 13 changeable smartphone orlaptop bat over usability, ranging from non-ex of thefactthat have users lost control arability. There are now many examples new electronic fortheirself-rep devices - of thesite, which examinesallkinds of own it",reads theDo-it-Yourself motto yousibility: "If cannot fixit, you don’t who consume ‘subconsciously’.those est homefurnishing trend aseasily as homemade table –just to follow thelat aunique to be need notnecessarily does atable notsacrifice –which siasts will unpaid work. For instance, DIYenthu- timeexpenditureality, andthevalue of work social appreciatesor does materi- hand, fixes things, maintainswebblog a Anybody hisorher whoworks with less materialoftime. foralonger period DIY, theretowards isatendency using time represent of criteria determining tion, competence, creativity, fun,and the individualprocess. overall result appears to lean infavor of before cordlessly. run alltools Even the able batteries, still take itwill along time power arerecharge tools with equipped - rom Hand Axes to 3D Printers 3D to Axes Hand rom Another point isthe object’s acces Given that needs, financial situa - - - - - example by Simon Wiggen (p. 41). is to train young people, asshowninthe how to repair things. Anotherpossibility canin which people learn andpractice lic, workshops open andrepair cafés make design data available to thepub- The open-dataresponse: initiatives that car to thehead office. andconnected into the inserted to be ble which needs thehelpofadiagnostic ca with defect - mechanics –after determination ofthe which can repaired only be –even by life ofprinters to malfunctioning cars teries, thedeliberately working limited of sustainable development. Thisshould the education achievement ofthis kind elements for necessary to be tion seem urban gardening andjoint DIYproduc Hence, DIY, fablabs, workshops, open change andthegreat transformation. DIY onsustainable development, global speculate about thepositive impacts of researcher Gerhard Scherhorn (p. 17) Andrea Baier (p. 33)andconsumer sociologist In offactory, thisedition DIY? More or less -

© istockphoto.com © istockphoto.com Thema 14 > Vom F >Vom 14 austkeil zur Desktop- zur austkeil DIY enthusiasts are called ‘collabora- The modern, resource-saving of tools cal public transportation, shared flats. car-sharing, energy cooperatives, lo- the most efficient way to save resources: In general, collaborative ofthings use is a great example forwasting resources. central lignite-fuelledpower stations are incontrast, disconnected basement; than aminiature inevery CHPinstalled is more efficient and resource-saving ing to several households connected unit (CHP)which supplies local heat supply: acombined heat andpower is agriculture. For example, theenergy factor inthearea production offood still, thegreatest resourcehouseholds; more resource-efficient than individual example, canteen food: kitchens are systems are more resource efficient. For however, onamicro level, jointly-used ro-economic andgeographical sense; advantage over centralised inthemac into thebackground. Decentralised isan pusheswhen individuality community able Development’. of itscampaign ‘Education forSustain- rewardedbe by thescope theUNwithin Negative ofDIY effects occur can F abrication - - rowed from others via theInternet. whereor Leihdirwas, can tools bor be smartphone-apps such asWhyown.it their powervia tools renting and forums tive consumption’; DIYenthusiasts get activities of prosuming have inwhich we that are now counted among the usual up entire systems, are these allactivities voice-controlled maintenance to setting to supermarkets,printing services from Amazon andEbay to Ikea, from online tasks. From banking to getting gas, from ofproduction variety ers take onawide is thelast step intheprocess. Prosum- end ofthechain –improving quality value increasingly shiftstowards the processes.these Thus, thecore ofadded porate to participate thewillingness in and evaluate things. Businesses incor consumers, produce, since we design prosumers, are we nolonger exclusively not produce things forour own use. As already doalotourselves, do even ifwe cally, Birger Priddat (p. 24)is right –we Speaking of‘unaware consumers’, basi- Prosumers to ConsumersFrom - - Thema 15 >F 15 already considered afuture production 3D printers, such as theReplicator II,are and thebusiness side. ‘more DIY’, ontheconsumer both side thetrendto producer istowards shows: increasingly doing so. market andbargaining powers andare Consumers can make oftheirnew use are searching forcustomers instead. longer searching forproducts but sellers ing into abuyers‘ market. Buyers are no tomization’.sellers‘ The market is turn- dividualized products and‘mass cus to more consumption, hedonistic in- inmanysumer needs segments leads PR-disaster. deficits quickly turn into adevastating corporate image. Ecological andsocial quick reactions are important forthe are important assurance, forquality and networks,social reports, tests anduser evaluations andrecommendations in customer communications. Monitoring grade theircustomer management and to invest additional resources andtime. rom Hand Axes to 3D Printers 3D to Axes Hand rom In thisrespect, itmakes that sense The development from consumer An increasing saturation ofcon- In return, businesses have to up- - participate inshaping theproduct. and prosumers can nolonger actively Replicator IIisnolongerSource Open The product data forthenew model isslowinguse theprocess downthough. 3Dprinterssonably fordomestic priced bestThe known manufacturer of rea- ofresources.els andafairdistribution most complete DIYare open-data- mod The requirements for such a vision ofal- large items wouldremain unaffected. agriculture andthemanufacturing of and sales byonly individualprosumers; foranexcessnecessity ofproduction Therewouldbe a not market-induced itself. consumer goods the necessary household could produce every model, replicator couldthesamedata open use 3D know aswe ittoday. Ifevery industry ers could replace theconsumer goods byconducted fully automatic 3Dprint resources, universal desktop fabrication imagine that, thesame amount with of system for domestic use. It ispossible to Ralf Bindel is the editor of factor of editor the is Bindel Ralf y . -

© istockphoto.com Thema 16 "Prosumer management: Beyond the production of products and services, companies could offer classes or training to enable users to keep products in good condition, to service them or to repair them."

Niko Paech, Befreiung vom Überfluss. Auf dem Weg in die Postwachstumsökonomie, München, 2012, oekom-Verlag

Translated by Christin Schell, Melanie Haschka © istockphoto.com Thema 17 Translated by Lea Schiefen, Karina Janowska, Christin Brauer Christin Janowska, Karina Schiefen, Lea by Translated GerhardBy Scherhorn it. without A modern economy subsistence cannot exist labour,of for preservation but the resources. of Do-it-yourself for division does the stand not (DIY) One’s O S tanding on wn F eet © istockphoto.com Thema 18 sistere works differently. The wordLatin sub stant DIY. However, asubsistent system vision ofcon- the terrifying sistence with Many readers probably associate sub- future: ofsubsistence. aworld ing that foraworld can endure inthe into Iwant aworld - to live in.Iamwish However, notturn thisdoes theworld the manufacturers andthegovernment. responsible: blame those anger andwill As Icannot stand this, repress Iwill the things despite having abad conscience. The factofthe matter isthat I buy new destroyed? turn intothe oldonewill waste andbe ifImusta clear conscience assume that Howused! can Ibuy anewproduct with materials andre recycled can be also - uct can returned be andthe after use components in amanner that theprod- clever functionsandsuch high-quality to design aproductneeded such with right, themanufacturer wouldhave However, supposing things were done on my own,norcan Irepair onemyself. I can neitherproduce adigital camera Standing on One’s Own Feet Own One’s on ›Standing means ‘to withstand’. Thus, a sub - - products that waste. become will that isnotdependent onmanufacturing able ofthesystem ones),Ican apart be (or cycles in closed replaced by renew- non-renewable materials are returned like thecamera may oneday be, andif like theshelf, or ofrecyclable materials either made ofrenewable materials saw. However, ifallnewproducts are boards,I need nails, ahammer anda shelfmyself,wooden but even forthis me, itmay possible to be produce a products forlifeallalone.essary For not possible to produce themost nec onthedivision oflabourbased asitis that sustains oflife. itsownbases economy ofamodern developing forms Today, the theword to describe isused the indigenous andagricultural people. ferred to theself-sustaining economy of sustains itself. In thepast, re thisterm - sistence economy isaneconomy that A subsistence economy isalso - Thema 19 >S 19 something new.Even ifyou thinkabout andrecombinedtheir molecules into out, wear after they broken be upinto can recuperated they techniques be theright can with recycled: be friendly carpets thatrial eco- to be donotseem have saved. been could they to produce it; necessary been this treasure. Many more resources had believable that noonehas ever dugup aluminium and105tons oftin.It isun- silver, 1,900tons ofcopper, 151 tons of of themare three 30tons tonsof ofgold, are alone. inGermany notused Inside 60 millionoldmobiletelephones that tainable Development, there are about accordingwell: to theCouncil of Sus Mobile telephones are lacking thisas such away that allmaterials are reused. lacking here isrecycling oftheoldcar in andprovidesof use anewone. What is company takes itback period after some a car, themanufacturer ortheleasing ucts isalready possible: onecan lease To extent, some therecovery ofprod- Products Industrial of Sustainability tanding on O on tanding Even things like synthetic mate- ne’s O wn F wn eet - the consumers. DIY: themanufacturers, thetraders, and involved responsibly intheprocess of thing. is Within cycles, these everybody to themottotied ofnotwasting any- From are thebeginning,cycles these return andreuse follow oneanother. duction, use, preservation andrepair, by preferably where cycles pro closed - aneconomylined that ischaracterized reusing andrecycling. In brief, heout exchanging andreturning, separating, things, but rather by leasing, sharing, not characterized by thepurchasing of of ‘access’, inwhich theeconomy is Jeremy drafted Rifkin afuture society andsociologist economist US nowned recyclable. product that isnotorcannot made be one cannot findanimportant industrial ble. Even ofthinking, after along period able orelse made to be cyclable recycla- sential product industrial that isnotre- it along time, you notfindanes will Already years twelve ago, there - - -

© istockphoto.com Thema 20 >S 20 clothes anddishes, cleaning theapart ing dresses andpatching socks, washing or pigs,geese knitting pullovers,- sew growing flowers andherbs, fattening preparing salad, cultivating potatoes, cooking, baking,can produce ourselves: that asindividualperson we services costs forit. stead ofsaving and"externalizing" the in theirpreservation andrenewal in- investthem. ifwe In again otherwords: our resources and,ifpossible, cultivate in asustainable manner preserve ifwe eration to another. We can only operate but have onfrom passed to be - onegen not meantforconsumption, used to be activities.economic However, are they munity resources that can for we use the end,itispreservation ofcom- education integration. and social So, in materials, eco-systems, climate, health, nature. DIYisthepreservation ofraw oflifeare bases and social ofalimited of substance intheend.The natural thepreservation ence economy serves Whatever doourselves we inasubsist DIY Sustainable tanding on O on tanding This also This also applies to products and ne’s O wn F wn eet - - few people live likefew people that which isalso healthily andexercised. Indeed, only a ate ifeverybody necessary would notbe cines, doctor’s visits andoperations health-related activities. Many- medi a fewpeople. Anexample istheDIYof remain will ahobby services for these movement developing around them, infrastructureporting andnosocial individuals. However, ifthere isnosup- roof. aphotovoltaicergy with system onthe ing thebike, generating renewable en- ment, building toys, laying tiles, repair We activitiesas allthese perform - tion ofnatural oflife. bases Thus, contribute- they to thepreserva energy fortheirproduction andusage. ing renewable materials andrenewable them. We activitiesby these us perform contributes only afewof if everybody ourselves, manyforming even services are making plenty ofproducts andper tion, handicrafts andhealthcare, we refer to thehousehold, garden, cultiva- structures. pursuing When activities that due to thelack ofhealth-promoting - - © istockphoto.com © istockphoto.com Thema 21 >S 21 We things dothese ourselves. work incommunities, initiatives andorganizations. bourly helpandlast but notleast through voluntary care,private andgeriatric pediatric nursing, neigh - instrument, teaching, educating, reading, learning, ing, painting, pressing, writing, forming, playing an andpoetical activitiesofnon-professionalary sing - them throughand preserve musical, liter artistic, area andcultural ofsocial cooperation. We create ogy also makes also ogy asubsistence economy possible: resourcesearthly allow. However,- technol modern athelp of technology, any time consume more than ture offered to them. Nowadays,with the we can, years, ofwhatgood only apart na harvested they - hadthey enough to eat inbad years. That iswhy in growth andanimal population in such away that living place) to annual variations ofweather, plant Age. clothes, (food, adapted theirneeds They and ofthe‘primitive’economies oftheStone people ble oneday have because we overexploited them. up ordiscarded non-sustaina anddonotbecome - environmentsocial inaway that are they notused ofhuman thebases newing lifeanditsnatural and andreA subsistence economy isabout- conserving Subsistence SenseThe of tanding on O on tanding This also applies to the social bases oflife;the social bases This also applies to the This was already anissue inthe subsistence ne’s O wn F wn eet - Thema 22 > Standing on One’s Own Feet it makes individual DIY easier. If DIY is combined Further Reading

with industrial products coming from and returned Bennholdt-Thomsen, Veronika, Holzer, Brigitte & Müller, to closed cycles, all essential products and services Christa 1999): Das Subsistenzhandbuch. Wien: Promedia are produced according to the principle of sub- Daniel Dahm & Gerhard Scherhorn, Urbane Subsistenz. Die sistence. As consumers, we participate by partly zweite Quelle des Wohlstands. München 2008: oekom Verlag producing products and services ourselves and Müller, Christa (2011): Urban Gardening. Über die Rückkehr der returning industrial products and services to the Gärten in die Stadt. München: oekom Verlag cycle after use. We gradually abandon all products Heinze, Rolf G. & Off, Claus (1990): Formen der Eigenarbeit. Theorie, Empirie, Vorschläge. Opladen: Westdeutscher and services that cannot be returned into a cy- Verlag cle. This has to be the goal: that, in the long run, a Hoffmann, Günter (1998): Tausche Marmelade gegen Steuererklärung. Ganz ohne Geld - Die Praxis der subsistence economy does not exist alongside an Tauschringe und Talentbörsen. München: Piper industrial economy focused on the consumption Paech, Niko (2012): Befreiung vom Überfluss. Auf dem Weg zur of resources, but that the level of subsistence of the Postwachstumsgesellschaft. München: oekom Verlag Schneider, Friedrich & Badekow, Helmut (2006): Ein Herz overall economy is increased step by step. für Schwarzarbeit. Warum die Schattenwirtschaft unseren Wohlstand steigert. Berlin: Econ (Ullstein) Gerhard Scherhorn is an economist and was a professor of Consumer Schweppe, Ronald B. & Schwarz, Aljoscha A. (2009): Einfach Economics at Hohenheim University. Until 2005, he was director of the gut. 99 Dinge, die nichts kosten und uns bereichern. research team ‘Sustainable Production and Consumption’ at the institute München: Riemann of Wuppertal. His latest publication is ‘Geld soll dienen, nicht herrschen. In 2008, he and Daniel Dahm published the book "Urbane Subsistenz. Die Quelle des Wohlstands.’ © istockphoto.com © Thema 23 "The balancing act between lower manufacturing costs and single-item productions seemed to be impossible in the past.

Nowadays, information and communication technologies like product configuration ensure that the ­optimal product for the buyer is brought together with the capabilities of the company."

Prof. Frank Huber, Chair for Marketing I, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Press release dated 15 April 2009

Translated by Christin Schell, Melanie Haschka Thema 24

Should you really DIY? About restrictions and creativity

There are many arguments against DIY, including our lack of professionalism and that we put a lot of time and resources into DIY. We are already doing too much ourselves and now we feel the need to re-invent ourselves on top of that.

By Birger P. Priddat © istockphoto.com © Translated by Alina Junk Thema 25 and getting to three only two hours each day? ofuse This ex ing 1.5tons ofsteelsjust sitting there formore than 20hours having unusedcapital inyour garage. What ofhav istheuse are to smartsupplies asopposed services driving this world, ourselvesdrive –which severely limitsother potential uses. In on timehave more than benefits a we owning still car have to andreturn itto usniceandcleandry on afixed date? when insteadcould we pay to pick laun upour someone dirty - ally washing clothes inthree percent ownthem, ofthetimewe more. machines Why buy that would we pricey are only actu- have much to so gottenthat used barely we even noticeitany to arestaurant.go There structure isadeep we to DIYwhich arein which we more likely to prepare ourthan ownfood to de-professionalisation. do amuch better, faster andcheaper job. Thisisameans of to do, doamateur we work indomains inwhich others could results.quality Instead ofdoingare somethingwe qualified However, what doourselves notlead we oftento does high- your car, moving, digging upyour garden –you save money. – whetheritisadding onto your house, redecorating, fixing is little fortheclaim evidence that whenyou doityourself sates forone’s lifestyle rather than aviable way oflife. There This motto ismore anexpression ofan attitude that compen- titude which isnotimproved by themotto ‘simplify your life!’. themselves. everything Itone does isasomewhat archaic at division oflabour, noticing- ifsome least worth itisat thevery > Should you really DIY? About restrictions and creativity and restrictions About DIY? really you Should > Services which guarantee getting us whereServices want we to be Resolving questions isnotthat these easy inasociety In anultramodern, dynamic that society onthe isbased - - -

© istockphoto.com © istockphoto.com Thema 26 matters online. stead ofhaving to tothebank,can go we quickly handle bank of labour. We somethingchanging can see here in- indeed; extent that mistake we version themforamodern ofadivision day, are we man-machine to these used interfaces to such an for electronically managing our bank account ourselves. To- bination ofconsumption andco-production. Thegoes same frommoney theATM andrefer to thisasprosumption, acom- We take itforgranted that pump we our owngas our orget move around free ofstress liberated. feel –they at bestto thecar ontheotherendofparking lot. They can heavy notinvolvesince itdoes carrying bags across town or cities. For theJapanese, shopping isnotastressful process, groceries are delivered to customer’s homes, at least inlarger at howsurprised inefficiently wespend ourlives. In Japan, mowing thelawn upleaves andsweeping etc. should –we be waste, our ownbags, shopping andeven carrying grocery ing gas, assembling furniture, operating anATM, separating handling many so ofour aspects lives ourselves –pump- ample characterises property asasymbol ofuselessness. spend our timeat spa or awellness –andeven pay the gym for much timeinfront ofacomputer screen moving, without we instead world oftherealthe virtual Since spendso world. we presented technologically. We save timeby moving around in named are above, whenever they services acceptthese we consider unprofessionalden issomethingwe intheareas > Should you really DIY? About restrictions and creativity and restrictions About DIY? really you >Should While havingWhile others provide that our ease bur services However, to dothings ourselves isgrowing. thetendency thinking start aboutIf we how have we to gotten used - © istockphoto.com Thema 27 others differently. We are –our humanistic experiencing read- latter presents differently himself by perceived inorderbe to creating that transformational theuser, change goods asthe the rightbe way approval, to get relevance andweb presence. introduceThey themselves toothers in the waybelieve to they homes). By doingothers re-invent this,. for themselves they a remixed version (created ofthemselves onlinefrom their consuming/copying, networkers re-invent as themselves as prosumption above now receives anewkind ofreality. By approval-exchange-production cycle. What was described realities networks, in social forexamplekind ofan as some way ofproducing forothers. creativity’, include oldimpulses ontheonehand but are a also ute. The kinds ofdo-it-yourself from which arise this, the‘web intelligence ofsocial constantly to whicha form we contrib- which could neverdoneby be just However, oneperson. itis prosumption andco-production onadivision oflabour based produce we onlineourselves. everything supply itwith It is universe,edge onadivision oflabour, which is based also we works, chat forums, etc. blogs By extensively using thisknowl- personal data, andpictures net online–invarious social the same time, are we putting also information, knowledge, are using information, knowledge andnarratives online, at save thanks high-tech toservices. virtual workingit.we spend Thetime out ismore thanwe thetime > Should you really DIY? About restrictions and creativity and restrictions About DIY? really you >Should Consumption stops private acquisition being and starts The virtual realities created likework this social asnew ofteamwork. newforms Online, experience we we While - Thema 28 >S 28 book in co-operation with Klaus-W. West ‘ West Klaus-W. with in co-operation book newest his and sense widest the in economy and art culture, include research of fields His in Germany. University Witten-Herdecke private the at economy) political of (chair Ökonomie Politische für Lehrstuhl the of head is Priddat Economist and Philosopher ers. People working start on‘social issues’. thesame way can seen they themselves be oth- can they see productive inonlinecommunication –andwhilere-inventing of action’controlling matter are onlineusers –modern auto- But physical insteadwith themselves oftiring work –‘people ofidentities anditsvarieties isstillmeans forsociety unclear. newmeans ofmeeting others. with and experiment What this andgive ourselves rehearseformers apersonality inwhich we a human/human relationship incyberspace. We actasper was ahuman/thing relationship, re-invent-yourself ismore of it isallabout connectedness. traditional While do-it-yourself ties. Since re-invent we ourselves fortheonlinecommunity, way,an unexpected are societies shaped: onlinecommuni- by ourselves consume since theirapproval we orfeedback. In bytion isdoneboth re-invent theoneswe ourselves forand re-inventwe ourselves consume what upload. Consump we - which ispublicly available online. from Theotherusers whom private consumption but more like kind ofprosumption some educational procedure which iscommunity-oriented. It isnot ers might want to turn theirheads away foramoment –an modernity of industry. of modernity hould you really D really you hould IY ? About restrictions and creativity and restrictions ? About Die Modernität der Industrie der Modernität Die deals with the the with ’ deals - connectivity  connectivity  net-community community-oriented  net-compatibility netpresence  e-fabric  homemade digital  networker  remix  net-creativity  knowledge  blog  Chats  networks social high-tech-virtual-services  wellness  prosumption  shoppen  supplies smart life-style-compensation-attitude  life your simplify übersetzen: Selber – Individuelle Publikationsmöglichkeit (hergel. v. Web und Logbuch) und v. Web (hergel. Publikationsmöglichkeit – Individuelle – Online-Kommunikation per Textnachricht, Audio oder Video oder Audio Textnachricht, per – Online-Kommunikation – neu zusammen gestellt zusammen – neu Internet-Verbindung – Einkaufen – Elektronisch gestütztes Produktionszentrum gestütztes – Elektronisch – Wohlbefinden – im sozialen Netz Arbeitende/r Netz – im sozialen – Wissen – Wahrnehmbarkeit im Internet – Wahrnehmbarkeit – Sowohl Verbrauch als auch Co-Produktion auch als Verbrauch – Sowohl – Möglichkeit, ständig kommunizieren zu können zu kommunizieren ständig – Möglichkeit, – schöpferische Fähigkeit des Internets des Fähigkeit – schöpferische – Internet-Gemeinschaft – Intelligente Lieferleistungen – Intelligente – Soziale Netzwerke wie Facebook, ­ Facebook, wie Netzwerke – Soziale – Vereinfache Dein Leben Dein – Vereinfache – Vergleichbarkeit im Internet – Vergleichbarkeit – per Computer selbst zu Hause hergestellt Hause zu selbst Computer – per – gemeinschaftsorientiert – Ständig verfügbare Dienstleistungen durch permanente permanente durch Dienstleistungen verfügbare – Ständig – Lebensstil-Kompensations-Attitüde Google+

© istockphoto.com Thema 29

"Wikipedia makes it possible: Last year, the 42-year-old computer technician had the ambition to become Kenya’s aviation pioneer. He thaught himself the secrets of building airplanes with the help of the Internet. Nderitu, who answers all questions as if the was explaining to an amateur how to build a chest of draw- ers, says that especially the Wikipedia website was helpful. The prototype is jacked up on three pedestals. Nderitu and two mechanics are putting together the single pieces, except for the wings made of alu- minum, which are stored in front of the building due to space issues. He bought the engine of a Toyota Corolla from a used-car dealer. The wheels are from an Austin Mini. He ordered the flight instruments via the Internet in America. The propeller made from magahony was carved by a carpenter according to his instructions. Nderitu estimates, that so far he has spent half a million Kenyan schillings on his passion. That is the equivalent of 5,800 Swiss Francs."

Markus M. Haefliger, Nairobi, Tollkühner Kenyaner in fliegender Kiste. Neue Züricher Zeitung, 29.10.2010, 04:36

Translated by Christin Schell, Melanie Haschka Thema 30 30 Translated by Dominika Gajdzinski, Vera Metzger, Christine Tschoppe Christine Metzger, Vera Gajdzinski, Dominika by Translated ‘ To will whatextent economic culture a new social and D By HolgerBy Glockner futurologist. a of perspective the presents article everyday into it business?integrate following The companies and how will effects sustainable new attain the trend DIY toward Will aspect? economy in quasi-industrial is future? its What IY –Contours of do-it-yourself ’ influencethe

© istockphoto.com Thema 31 > DIY – Contours of a new social and economic culture

In recent years, there has been much initially increase. 3D printing, the killer The most common concept will be do- debate on the trend toward DIY and its application of DIY, might well change it-yourself with instructions. Businesses implications for the economy and socie- this in the foreseeable future: the new will offer individuals the possibility to ty. Nevertheless, there are several social, processes turn the usual design meth- design products and processes them- economic and technological proponents ods upside down. Products are no selves. Intelligent forms of collaboration supporting the trend. On the one hand, longer made with prefabricated forms, are the critical success factor for the DIY expresses a longing for autonomy but are ‘printed’ layer by layer. In this possibilities that new technologies pro- and participation; economically it rep- way, material intensity can be reduced, vide for do-it-yourself. resents the purest form of individualisa- which ensures the sustainability of self- Sociologist and econo- tion; and technologically it is often only organised processes. Yet it is crucial for mist Holger Glockner is made possible by modern information this development to concentrate not a member of the manage- and communication technologies. only on production, but also on the lo- ment team of the Z_punkt foresight company, based On the other hand, the medium- to gistic processes involved. in Cologne. He analyses long-term effects on economic struc- However, sustainable do-it-yourself the creation of sustain- tures remain rather uncertain. The DIY requires forms of cooperative indi- able future markets and is an adjunct lecturer at trend could considerably influence vidualism. Only in cooperation, not in the FU Berlin in the mas- isolated markets, such as those for the autonomy, can individuals manage the ter’s programme in Future production of media content, power (partial) changeover to a new social and Studies. generation,fashion and design. How- economic culture in an eco-efficient ever, effects remain limited in many way. Both individual learning processes cases. From the ecological point of view, as well as the development of creativ- the conflict between the objective to ity and innovation have to be combined protect resources and the desire for in- with a reconfiguration of value net- dividualised products is still unresolved. works. This will provide start-up com- Individualisation and personalisation in panies with the opportunity to redefine economic processes are often achieved and reconnect the interfaces between only at the expense of efficiency. Thus, the separate process stages. following the social breakthrough of In the future, DIY will most likely do-it-yourself, the use of resources will be successful in certain niche markets. Thema 32 "Now the customers are gradually becoming an active element in the value chain by increasingly designing their own product environments.

Against this backdrop, the move to decentralised production and even personal manufacturing (fabbing) may be logically consistent, but its consequences are surprising. Instead of setting up new plants abroad, innovative production methods such as real-time manufacturing lead to an increase of miniature fac- tories in urban environments. This often involves former downtown retail areas which previously stood empty. So-called fabbing centres will become the new temples of product manufacturing and presenta- tion. Here, customers can see with their own eyes how their ideas and demands are turned into unique products. They can even get involved actively. Today’s range of possible fabbing-services runs from spare parts to tailor-made shoes, personally designed high-tech furniture to lightweight city cars with a regional touch. It seems as if the customers have quickly caught on – the fabbing-fever is raging, a completely new game has begun."

Andreas Neef, Klaus Burmeister, Karlheinz Steinmüller, Beate Schulz-Montag, Basis - Deutschland und Europa 2020, brand eins 10/2003 - Zukunft (Source: http://www.z-punkt.de/fileadmin/be_user/englisch/D_Downloads/2003_Europe_Scenario.pdf, Date: 05 December 2012) © istockphoto.com

© istockphoto.com Thema 33 33 ubsistence Subsistence Translated by Amanuel Woldeyohannes, Shane Morris, Simon Varga Simon Morris, Shane Woldeyohannes, Amanuel by Translated AndreaBy Baier good isSo news this for planet? the communally have been appearing recently. more examples people of doing things workshops have telling names. More and urban community gardens and open new The or NeuLand Dingfabrik. City, haveThey names like Open Design S – F ustainability?! or More Reloaded

© istockphoto.com Thema 34 what conditions? works ofthismachine? Andifso, under it-yourself work actlike aspanner in the that face. we Could subsistence anddo- machineeconomic is themain problem ing that finding a way to throttle the because ofour ecological situation, say- that should we work less andlive more cian oftheOccupy movement, suggests can ethnologist andleading theoreti- levels.wealth David Graeber,- an Ameri compensate in decline fortheexpected expansion ofself-sufficiency in order to reduced by half whileencouraging the calling production forindustrial to be growth movement like Niko Peach are day, theoreticians from Germany’s post- andecological effects.positive social To- of wage labour" andspeculated onits such predicted asAndre "theend Gorz wide. In the1980s, New economists Left capitalist production- world ofgoods logical devastation the associated with ablebe to mitigate- andeco thesocial was that claimed doing ityourself might to saveposed oncebefore. theworld It Subsistence andDIYwork were sup- > Subsistence Reloaded – For More Sustainability?! More –For Reloaded >Subsistence with, independent work can share the dent andtherefore sustainable to begin individuals. With alifestyle that- ispru thelifestyle of within tally embedded similar items. DIYwork isfundamen- like cars,goods single-family housesor resource-intensivefewer consumer their ownthings lead theirlives using proven that whotend to make people to otherobjects.plied It has yet to be to home-made items isnotalways ap- more often. However, thisrelationship out asquickly andare repaired also caredally cherished, for, notthrown lifestyle. Home-made items are usu - have also not necessarily asustainable whomakepeople theirownthings do finalto consider isthat truism One sustainable post-growth economy? mostbe effectiveandproductive fora sistence andwhat factors would social Whatthe question remains: ofsub type - and subsistence.sufficiency However, no way ofgetting around theideas of ­ fairy tale ofsustainable growth, there is Once you stopOnce believing inthe Thema 35 > Subsistence Reloaded – For More Sustainability?!

characteristics of prudence and sustain- people are becoming enthusiastic about workshop. Even to this day, useful in- ability and contribute towards them. DIY, but rather that many people, par- dustrial waste continues to be used in In contrast, a carefree attitude towards ticularly the young, have recently been imaginative new ways in the garden. consumption will also be reflected in explicitly connecting DIY to ecological Recently someone brought used but people’s independent work ("Wovon and social questions. This is how they high-quality ironing boards that, once Menschen Leben" 2007). discuss the topic of the new urban gar- covered with white tablecloths, could The bottom line is that it always dens, in particular in public workshops, serve as comfortable bar tables at out- depends on how sustainable your life- alongside topics of industrial agricul- door festivities. style is as a whole. On this point, Nikoli ture, the global trade of foodstuffs and Paech says that only the sum total of all the destruction of seed supplies. Other Meanwhile, the mini-hotbeds made the ecological effects of a given indi- topics discussed with a view to sustain- from milk cartons in the Prinzessinnen- vidual’s activities allows for conclusions ability at these workshops include the garten in Berlin have become legend- to be drawn on his or her overall level of inbuilt half-life of goods, resource wast- ary. Jakob Ottlinger from the Annalinde sustainability. age and disenfranchisement due to dis- communal garden in Leipzig notes that It is also not at all certain that DIY empowerment. communal gardening gives you a com- work is comparatively more ecological The way we deal with items is pletely different perspective on items and that waged work is less ecological. changing. At the Munich communal found by the side of the road and that According to women’s studies ­scholar garden o’pflanzt is, for example, the walking through the city becomes a Ruth Becker, the use of materials as well founders wanted to buy as little as pos- completely different experience. With as the production and disposal of pol- sible from the very start. This was not attempts to use as few additional re- lutants from doing crafts could be even just because they were short of money, sources as possible and utilise what is more problematic from an ecological but it was rather done on principle. As already available, "Repair, Upcycle and point of view than in the equivalent pro- a consequence, the garden temporarily Improvise" has become the motto of the fessional occupation. turned into a warehouse. Items such as communal gardeners. They also meet up wood, chairs, glass and plant pots were at other kinds of workshops like sewing Wikipedia Praised neatly sorted. All the materials that were and knitting events, at so-called fablabs donated or found were used to build - production labs for the development What is relevant in the context of sus- cold frames, raised beds, greenhouses, of new prototypes, at clothes swaps and tainability is not that more and more an outdoor kitchen, a clubhouse and a at DIY cafeterias. In Cologne, Dingfabrik © istockphoto.com Thema 36 >S 36 lin’s urban gardening initiatives, which coordinationcity-wide forBer agency (Commons-Office). The nameofthis theAllmende-Kontoris thecase with They want to create newcommons, as workshopsopen andneighbourhoods. itbackbring from to the thefactories want to democratise production and do things themselves. Theprotagonists level ofautonomy andenable themto and networks that increase peoples’ to createworkshops try infrastructures Just like community gardens, these but practice traditional crafts aswell. cutters 3Dprinterssively andlaser with fablabs, donotwork even ifthey exclu- workshops oftenas definethemselves can contribute, ispalpable. new These of somethingbigger, to which they a collective. being Thefeeling of part as individualsbutmembers also of female, notonly themselves clearly see new do-it-yourselfers, male both and Furthermore, itisinteresting that the fromimported theNetherlands. tion’s members, theidea was originally cafés. According- to oneoftheassocia regularly organises well-attended repair ubsistence R ubsistence eloaded –F eloaded or More S More or ustainability?! - tionships. participants whilebuilding rela social - improvisation skills are contributed by market such astime, goods know-how, created.been In addition to this, non- production possible have methods also ture that make ofthese thecollectiveuse Networks, swap-meets andinfrastruc and self-sufficiency ontheother hand. on theonehand andhomeproduction items (throughdustrial collectiveuse) them) andintensifying ofin- theuse life ofitemsrepairing (by andupcycling munities, forexample, prolonging the in theDIYcom- tested anddeveloped ofsubsistenceforms have created, been This shows that new,creative andurban "real-world Wikipedia". urban communitythese gardens asa ternet, Contraste magazine described ofthe influenced by theexperience In- most important factors. Being largely of know-how, andspace tools are the this attitude. The swapping andsharing Tempelhofer Feld, clearly underlines has itsowncommunity garden at the - Thema 37 > Subsistence Reloaded – For More Sustainability?! A Farewell to alen (outlines of a post-social sociology) Post-social Relations that in these DIY projects, new forms of community are being created and In an interview, one proponent of tested, while social relationships in gen- this new form of do-it-yourself explains eral are weakening and breaking down. what is new about the concept. To her, All of these projects are about the em- there really is something new about powerment of the self in a community these movements, insofar as they gener- context. ‘Traditional’ open workshops, ate a whole new approach and redefine such as the Munich-based Haus der Ei- the roles of community and coopera- genarbeit, have provided a framework tion, which are no longer considered for the development of communities a necessary evil but an advantage for of tinkerers, the exchange of technical individuals. Whereas she considered knowledge and mutual giving of advice. do-it-yourself to be something very Again, working in a common space was individualistic and rather exclusive in one of the important aspects of the open the past, with an emphasis on owning workshop’s attractiveness, although in- houses, and gardens etc., she now sees dividual work on personal projects re- it as something clearly extraverted, as a mained the usual practice. profoundly cooperative process based on the exchange of knowledge and mu- What is remarkable is the fact that com- tual instruction. For her it has become munality has an economic connotation. something that is neither geographically Consumption and production are being nor socially exclusive, something that is redefined. New commons are being cre- about the relationships with people and ated and exploited collectively. In this the way we create and produce things. context, the reappropriation of basic Consequently, today’s do-it-your- cultural techniques (such as gardening, selfers are by no means ‘post-social’. cooking, carpentry, sewing etc.) is on Karin Knor-Cetina notes in her essay the agenda. People of the industrial age

Umrisse einer Soziologie des Postsozi- do not have these basic skills anymore, commons creativ © Thema 38 > Subsistence Reloaded – For More Sustainability?!

says philosopher Christine Ax, and this the consumer status and regaining lost lack of skill is what the world expects of knowledge into account, as well as is- them. DIY enthusiasts no longer accept sues like the right to participate and this type of deprivation. Champions for influence as well as seeing oneself as a this cause want to cope with everyday responsible citizen. life independently and to become the With regard to such social and masters of their own lives again. This political aspects, the direct ecological new movement is also characterised by impact of repairing, recycling, sharing its questioning nature in regard to mod- and exchanging can be considered to ern myths and dualisms, re-enchant- be essentially negligible. According to ment with the world and abolition of the my observations, the energy efficiency separation of nature from culture as well of many community gardeners is quite as of people from objects. impressive. Vegetarianism, locally pro- duced organic food and second-hand Communities as an Asset clothing are popular. However, air travel is controversial. But it is not all about The individual projects do not deal numbers; it is about the attitude towards with every single issue simultaneously. life expressed by DIY. It’s about the Participants focus on certain issues broader ideas that are connected to in- and some projects are more critical of dividual work (recycling, repairing, local society or economic growth than oth- supply, the ability of self-subsistence, ers. Naturally, issues such as the global regaining of cultural techniques). In this food industry and seed and soil issues case, seemingly new ways of living are (peak soil) are dealt with in the commu- invented that are less resource-intensive nity gardens rather than in the fablabs, which are very often full of gadget-en- thusiasts and technophiles. However, all projects take aspects like the willingness

© creativ commons creativ © to share and exchange, the question of Thema 39 > Subsistence Reloaded – For More Sustainability?!

and, at the same time, attractive. subsistence with making a livelihood, by In his book Debt: the First 5,000 Years, bringing agriculture back to the city and David Graeber calls for the reconversion by regaining and reinterpreting seem- of the market economy into "human ingly outdated knowledge. The anthro- economies", economies characterised pologist Bruno Latour would probably by the individual relations of human say that they are not modern anymore. beings rather than exchanges between Andrea Baier is a sociologist and conducts research on strangers. The new projects repeal hege­ subsistence, regionalization and sustainable ways of monic economic principles in real life living for the writer’s foundation Stiftungsgemeinschaft and replace them with principles such anstiftung & ertomis in Munich. Her most recent publica- tion is ‘Selbermachen statt Konsumieren’ (Doing it Yourself as solidarity and mutual assistance. Instead of Consuming). Principles, which Graeber refers to as ‘communism’, are most important in the

field of private subsistence, i.e. in family istockphoto.com © and household domains. "The sociology of everyday communism is a potentially Recommended Reading

enormous field", Graeber says. How- Ax, Christine (2009): Die Könnensgesellschaft, Berlin: Gold, Helmut (u.a.) (2011): DIY. Die Mitmachrevolution, Rhombos Verlag Mainz: Ventil Verlag (Katalog der Frankfurter ever, due to certain ideological blink- Ausstellung) Baier, Andrea/Müller, Christa/Werner, Karin (2007): Wovon ers, this field has rarely been dealt with. Menschen leben. Arbeit, Engagement und Muße Graeber, David (2012): Schulden. Die ersten 5000 Jahre, The female protagonists of the various jenseits des Marktes, München: oekom Verlag Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta Becker, Ruth (1989): Eigenarbeit – Modell für ökologisches Knorr-Cetina, Karin (2007): Umrisse einer Soziologie des DIY cultures have nonchalantly freed Wirtschaften oder patriarchale Falle für Frauen? Postsozialen, Marburg: Metropolis themselves from such blinkers, i.e. from In: Biertler, Willy/Uta von Winterfeld (Hrsg.): Latour, Bruno (2008): Wir sind nie modern gewesen. Zukunft der Arbeit: welcher Arbeit?, Basel, Versuch einer symmetrischen Anthropologie, traditional modern resentments or dual- Boston, Berlin, S.257-291 Frankfurt/M: Suhrkamp isms like wage labour versus independ- Critical Crafting Circle (hg.) (2011): craftista! Handarbeit Müller, Christa (Hg.) (2011): Urban Gardening. Über die als Aktivismus, Mainz: Ventil Verlag ent work and subsistence, urban versus Rückkehr der Gärten in die Stadt, München: oekom Daniel Dahm & Gerhard Scherhorn, Urbane Subsistenz. Verlag rural or development versus tradition. Die zweite Quelle des Wohlstands. München 2008: Paech, Niko (2012): Befreiung vom Überfluss. Auf dem Weg They undermine such dualisms in an oekom in die Postwachstumsökonomie, München: oekom Friebe, Holm/Ramge, Thomas (2008): Marke Eigenbau. Der Verlag elegant manner by trying to combine Aufstand der Massen gegen die Massenproduktion, Rasper, Martin (2012): Vom Gärtnern in der Stadt. Die neue Frankfurt/NY: Campus Landlust in der Stadt. München: oekom Verlag Thema 40

"And despite all of this, it is not a matter of going back to nature, to the stone age or any- where else. What lies before us is a reorientation and reevaluation, a new approach dealing with knowledge and experience. Coming to terms with the natural bases of our existence and particu- larly with how these bases are organised economically and socially, is an expression of a defi- nite political position. Gardening has always been conservative; the fact that it is now acquiring subversive aspects is new."

Martin Rasper: Vom Gärtnern in der Stadt, die neue Landlust in der Stadt. (On gardening in the city; the new yearning for the country in the city) Munich, 2012, oekem Publishers.

Translated by Christin Schell, Melanie Haschka Thema 41 41 Translated by Nadja Gröner, Nadja, Desiree Münch, Vid Roposa Vid Münch, Desiree Nadja, Gröner, Nadja by Translated SimonBy Wiggen on reality. agrip with economy foran new financingpossibilities offer innovation. Crowdfunding and microlending and thereby spreadenthusiasts or green blue economy, is it essential for become us to DYI myself. changing better the of sake the For beginning,At the is there an idea: do Ican it a sustainable company how to turn an idea into Becoming aD IY enthusiast:

© istockphoto.comcontrastwerkstatt - Fotolia.com © Peshkova, shutterstock Thema Becoming a DIY enthusiast: how to turn an idea into a sustainable company asustainable into idea an turn to how enthusiast: a DIY ›Becoming 42 business plan to consulting andfinanc Starting professional with fora support ties today than ten ortwenty years ago. has completely different- opportuni who wants anentrepreneur to become wanted to change something. became aDIYenthusiast, because he managerand themedical technology idea turnedinto asustainable company for employees to towork. get Agood panies allover bicycles with Germany has employees seven andprovides com- was Today, born. three years later, he of hisowncompany, called ‘LeaseRad’, work instead of acompany car. Theidea not provide to to get abicycle himwith whyasked himself hisemployer did ger, amanager formedical technology, hiscar. himaslongtook aswith Predi- past 24 traffic lights. Withhisbike, it to work through Freiburg, hehad to go day. hisnine-kilometre On trip every the 40-year-old went economist by bike Mercedes estate car to work, to drive of hishouse, but instead ofusing his His company car was standing infront tion. He wanted to change something. ofhissitua- PredigerUlrich was weary Anybody with asustainableAnybody with idea - from things. allthese this domain, green founders can benefit ability has only played aminorrole in plementation ofanidea. Even ifsustain- and financial simplify theim - support ing: platforms ontheInternet, networks ideas and find supporters fortheirproideas andfind supporters - match.de, founders can present their - platform seed kind, or on theGerman founded in2009asoneofthefirst ofits idea. platforms such askickstarter. On , com siasts, itisall about therealization ofan the crowdfunders, asfortheDIYenthu- andsmallpeople investors. For most of invest butidealists, money, also daring not only professional investors that can nership investment plus interest. It is back get orthey theirsilentprice part forareduced products andservices tributions.get The sponsors resulting project by providing many small con- of interested helpsfinance people the major loan from abank, alarge group crowdfunding. Instead oftaking out a exciting idea for financing projects is The latest and at the same timemost banks Doing without it - Thema 43 > Becoming a DIY enthusiast: how to turn an idea into a sustainable company

jects. Only when the whole amount has when many investors believe in the idea. been committed do the founders receive Linda Bergset thus refers to crowdfund- their money. If they cannot find enough ing as a "democratization of financing". supporters, the founders go away A disadvantage is that the swarm is not empty-handed. Linda Bergset says that always more intelligent than individual investors do not just come knocking on experts in banks. Bergset warns that just your door. In the Borderstep Institute for because somebody came up with a good Innovation and Sustainability, she espe- idea, produced a high quality video and cially deals with the financing possibili- advertises a lot, does not mean that the ties of sustainable business start-ups. idea itself and its later implementation She emphasises that founders have to are good as well. Most of the numerous

do a lot of advertising for their projects. crowdfunding-portals offer only few shutterstock Zemler, © The advantage of crowdfunding is projects; some portals have managed to that founders do not depend on a bank’s only last for a short period of time and willingness to lend, an experience Ul- have already been abandoned. Even rich Prediger had when he started his though more and more money is being ‘LeaseRad’ business. This entrepreneur invested collectively, there seems to be from Freiburg, Germany, remembers a concentration on only a few significant that the first bank pulled out after only a portals. few months, and that it took the second bank half a year to release the money. Promoting culture He financed jobrad, his current project, and development which is a leasing system for low-priced ebikes for employees subsidized by This financing model is especially popu- their employers, via crowdfunding on lar with artists. After all, DIY enthusiasts seedmatch.de. Instead of the necessary of cultural projects rarely have chances EUR 50,000, he obtained twice as much to receive money from banks or busi- as he needed thanks to 175 participants. ness angels. Here, crowdfunding means With crowdfunding, money is raised ‘culture on demand’ where books are Thema 44 > Becoming a DIY enthusiast: how to turn an idea into a sustainable company

only printed as soon as there are enough betterplace.org, this idea will pay off in people interested in them and where the long run. videos are only recorded once the pro- Anybody who wants to found a sus- ject has been financed. tainable company but does not rely on The largest German platform for many investors nor need a lot of funds, crowdfunding, in the framework of for example for the initial purchase of social commitment, is betterplace. equipment or the financing of mer- org. 224,900 donors have already im- chandise purchases, can also apply for a plemented more than 4,000 projects microloan. in 140 countries through this platform. The ecologically ethical GLS Bank Moreover, the portal reflects typical and the German Microfinance Institute elements of modern founding: later (DMI) have established around 60 Mi- founders became aware of the fact that crofinance Service Providers that can it is necessary to facilitate the process offer EUR 100m with the help of Mik- of fund raising both on their journeys rokreditfonds Deutschland. What began and when working in development aid. as a non-bureaucratic help for individu- Especially small projects, which are not als in developing countries found its run by large NGOs, have difficulties in way into business start-ups in Germany obtaining development funds. The idea as well. Even "unbankable" founders can of facilitating this process sprang from obtain small amounts with short terms. the minds of several people indepen- It is fast, easy and requires no expensive dently from each other. They joined assessments. In this way, many DIY en- forces, idealists gave their money and thusiasts have already started their own experts gave their expertise. Finally, the little businesses. largest ‘self-made’ donation platform in Germany was created. Thanks to a subsidiary, which consults companies in the field of corporate social respon-

© Urfin, Shutterstock sibility (CSR) and invests its benefits in Thema 45 > Becoming a DIY enthusiast: how to turn an idea into a sustainable company Help to help yourself This retired electronic engineer get them interested in working as engi- has started a voluntary workshop at neers and thus help fight against labour However, founders and DIY enthusiasts one of Bochum’s high schools. Instead shortage in Germany. Hering thinks are not always exclusively dependent of switching the circuits and plugging that those who do not wish to use the on financial aid. Sometimes, collabo- them into plugboards, he teaches stu- fixed devices anymore can offer them to rating helps as well. For example, En- dents between the age of 11 and 18 how a municipally supported second hand breeze, a company based in Cologne, to fix electronic devices such as irons shop. This is one more excellent idea of Germany, which wants to produce small and toasters. According to Hering, in- how to make students sustainable DIY maintenance-free wind turbines in stead of throwing away used devices and enthusiasts. the near future, can always access the buying new ones, students learn how to Simon Wiggen is a journalist and works for gemeindemen- international group’s Autodesk simula- deal with resources economically. In ad- schen.de. In the second issue of Factory 2012 he discussed tion software for free. Enbreeze benefits dition to that, he believes that he might civic participation. from professional tools while Autodesk establishes new contacts and polishes its green image. Furthermore, the two companies want to increase the rate of innovation in the sector. According to Dr. Ralf Weiss, researcher at the Bor- derstep Institute, founders are a major source of stimulation for the economy. He believes that young founders are the backbone of energy transition, because they are full of ideas that big companies would never think of or are reluctant

to try out. It is not always the case that Shutterstock LeventeGyori, © a whole new company will necessar- ily emerge from a sustainable idea and Rainer Hering (59) from Bochum, Ger- many, is the perfect example of that. Thema 46 "Companies with a greater ­vertical production range are generally more productive." The paradigm shift is becoming apparent, because so far the rule in management was to restrict oneself to core competencies and to outsource all allegedly non-value adding processes to suppliers. According to Dr. Steffen Kinkel, head of the Competence Center Industrial and Service Innovations at the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, the results of the study show that the transaction costs in coordination with suppliers, interdependencies and supplier margins make outsourcing less and less attractive. Considering the fact that capacities are under-utilised during the financial crisis, insourcing could prove to be a better strategic option.

Dino Trescher, Fertigungstiefe als Wettbewerbsvorteil nutzen, Fraunhofer-Institut für System- und Innovationsforschung (ISI), Pressemitteilung, (using vertical production as a Competitive advantage, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research iSI, press release) 21.4.2009, 10:09

Translated by Christin Schell, Melanie Haschka Thema 47 Brew it yourself!

Beer is a very good example of why do-it- yourself is necessary. The model of "brew it yourself" can be applied to many aspects of everyday life: wherever industry leaves an insipid taste, DIY enthusiasts first fight for the satisfaction of their individual needs and then provide innovations and culture for the community.

By Ralf Bojanowski and Ralf Bindel

Translated by a group of translaters © istockphoto.com © Thema 48 > Brew it yourself! Fritz Wülfing, a beer connoisseur and Beer Rebrewed home brewer from Bonn, Germany, says that he travelled a lot searching for well- Home brewers are re-discovering tradi- hopped beers because they have be- tional types of beer. For example, take a come increasingly rare in Germany. So sip of the new version of the India Pale he decided to go to the USA. And he was Ale (IPA). Of course, this pale ale is not so impressed by the beer culture there as strong as the beer the English brewed that he began to brew his own beer at for their officers in Colonial India, but it home. Beer, culture, USA? How do these is still as hoppy as it used to be. Another words go together in the country of Bud, exquisite beer which US home brewers Coors and Miller, where one can get one have made available worldwide is the of those cold, probably tasteless beers Russian Imperial Stout, a refined bal- on every corner? But for beer connois- ance of coffee, chocolate and a subtle seurs and people interested in taste, the tart flavour. USA is a Mecca of beer diversity nowa- Today, the individual styles of days. What is the basic idea of this inno- home brewing are conquering much vation? Brew it yourself! of the world. This may not be true for Lack of taste, quality and variety every country, but at least Germany is the mother of invention. For several was struck by the idea of crafting one´s years now, Americans have been tired own beer. Even though Germany is the of the flat, commercial uniform taste of home of a wide range of beers and a US beer. They began to brew their own large diversity in tastes, Germans tend beer. The home brewers were inspired to consume well-known and low-priced by German, English, Belgian, and Czech brands. Therefore, the growing interest styles. They used traditional recipes and in home brewing is a positive develop- created something new: designer beers ment. Nevertheless, compared to fa- brewed with hop varieties from around mous beer brands, less well-known but the world, with a complex, full-bodied really special beers are rarely available.

© istockphoto.com © and aromatic taste. The so-called consolidation process Thema 49 > Brew it yourself!

continues; major breweries are buying for hobby brewers have more and more up smaller regional ones and closing members. The number of accessory sup- them down in order to sell their own pliers has increased tenfold and double- products. A study conducted by the digit growth in sales has been achieved. Hans Böckler Foundation in 2010 shows that 45 major breweries in Germany (of Geting away from a total of 1,322 breweries) supply two uniform taste thirds of the market. Small and craft breweries can hardly compete with pric- Increasing attention for the gradu- es less than EUR 10 for a case of beer. In ally growing movement already makes Franconia, the Land of Beer, traditional some home brewers like Fritz Wülfing and family-led breweries close down enter the next phase of ­merchandising almost every month. In addition, Fran- their products. His beer is officially conian breweries are confronted with a called Fritz Ale and the types of beer are generational change. American Ale, Imperial IPA, Imperial Nobody wants to take over small Stout and IPA. Wülfing is still working local breweries if the trade supervisory for Deutsche Telekom, but he has not office is threatening with cost-increas- been brewing at home for a longer time. ing hygiene regulations because of the The new part-time brewer explains that change of ownership. Therefore, lack the positive feedback on his beers – first of variety, taste and a dying tradition among a circle of friends and later be- are now, even in Germany, good rea- yond that circle – has made him com- sons for becoming a home brewer. So, mercialize the project of home brewing. there is an increasing number of people In the beginning, Wülfing was a guest boiling their own brews at the stove at brewer in a small Cologne brewery. Now home, lautering it in the bathtub and he works in the larger Siegburg abbey fermenting and storing it on the balcony brewery. Both are house breweries that in order to avoid uniform beers and to only sell their own beer in the brewery

win back the lost taste. Internet forums istockphoto.com © Thema 50 > Brew it yourself!

restaurant. Home brewers do not have time. Anyone could brew beer in simple this possibility; they have others instead. pots and plastic containers, but the cost Wülfing sells his beer through an for additional brewing equipment and online store, which means that beer fans accessories, energy and ingredients turn all over the world can enjoy his ales. Sur- home brewing in Germany into some- prisingly, the industry is the reason for thing financially unattractive, although this development: a steadily increasing brewing 200 litres of beer per year is tax- number of different people are willing free. In addition, home brewing is not to brew small amounts of beer – a seem- environmentally friendly: usually, heat- ingly unpretentious product – with high ing uses electricity and immersion chill- personal expenditure. In Germany, just ers use drinking water. like in the USA, standard taste prevails, It is not yet common to process in- while ingredients, processing time and gredients from organic farming. More storing time are being reduced due to over, many home brewers use their own austerity measures. Even small brewer- small stainless steel brewing machines, ies are adjusting to this. Nowadays, the which, compared to a smaller number preference for beer is cool, fresh and of big vessels used in breweries, cause bottled. Bitter, hoppy, dry and complex increased material consumption. How- taste and the use of beer as a cooking ever, home brewing emphasises social ingredient are considered oddities that collaborative aspects, as can be seen no one knows anymore and with which from the newly founded, non-commer- people need to become familiar again. cial Dortmunder Bürgerbräu, a group of Today, in order to drink well-hopped local home brewers in Dortmund, which beer or to end your day with a Russian is the former beer capital of Europe in Imperial Stout, you need to brew it your- terms of quantity. Here, home brew- self, know home brewers or buy expen- ers have formed an association in order sive Craft Beer. After all, one thing is cer- to finance and set up a bigger brewing tain: home brewing is costly and a good machine that is used by the members brew could take up to six hours of your of the association. Therefore, it is more Thema 51 > Brew it yourself!

resource-efficient and more reasonably owned by commercial breweries could priced than a small brewing machine be the FabLabs, Flavour Labs, and Open used at home. Aside from this, brewing Workshops of home brewers – and the in company is even more fun and you birthplace of variety 2.0. can get advice, help, and encourage- However, home brewing is not ment for every batch. merely about searching for lost taste. For Günther Baumann, co-founder of the Social Benefits of non-commercial Munich Richelbräu, Craft Breweries another joint hobby brewery, it also in- cludes aesthetic components. Baumann The tradition of municipal breweries adds that brewing has both a sensuous like the ones that can be found only in side and an aspect critical of contempo- a few places in Bavaria and Thuringia is rary culture. According to him, brewing a good example of the common use of beer is some kind of holistic approach resources and social production. These to life. Explaining his passion, he says breweries are under municipal owner- that handling natural raw materials, ship, and each and every brewer is al- weighing and measuring, tasting and lowed to use the beer produced at the pouring liquids from one container into brewery, serve it on their premises, or another and bottling beer gives him a sell it by the barrel. This is how local certain satisfaction. This process helps competition fosters high quality beers, him forget the stress of everyday life and and, above all, enriches the diminish- also enables him to physically enjoy the ing variety of tastes. Especially visitors result of his work. The home brewing to small towns surrounding Windisch­ production may not be very profitable eschenbach close to the Bavarian-Czech and for some microbrewers even a los- border can enjoy these beers, because ing deal, but home brewers are idealists, almost every house in that area offers a Baumann admits. He adds that they are different kind of Zoigl beer. Municipal afraid that with the monopolisation of

breweries or rented facilities that are the brewing industry and concentration istockphoto.com © Thema 52 > Brew it yourself!

on but few global players, the variety of indication thereof. Between 1996 and beers will be lost and someday only a 2009, even the number of microbrewer- uniform, tasteless beer will be left. Ac- ies with an annual production of less cording to Baumann, they stand for va- than 50,000 hectolitres rose by 11 per- riety, eagerness to experiment, and the cent from 1,036 (out of 1276 in total) to element of surprise when at the end of a 1,149 (out of 1,327) breweries. All micro- brewing day a new type of beer has been breweries, producing less than 20,000 created. hectolitres a year, however, only account for 1.5 percent of the German breweries’ Beer on the Move total output, which steadily decreases to the current amount of almost less than The USA can be called the Mecca of 100m hectolitres a year. Until now, there home brewing with an estimated num- have only been a few newcomers in Ger- ber of one million home brewers, 900 many that turn brewing into their ca- brewing clubs, and 300 hobby brewing reer. Most of the new craft breweries are competitions. In Germany, however, the headed by experts. The appreciation of movement is only just beginning. In the beer in the home brewers’ environment USA, brew-it-yourself enthusiasts have has been growing: there are more and massively promoted the beer culture. more beer sommeliers, beer festivals Nowadays, many of them have dared and beer shops – and the large brewer- to take the step of starting their own ies are reacting. businesses. In the last year alone, 350 breweries were set up in the USA and in Germany the home brewing scene is growing, too. More than one hundred home brewers, which are currently registered with the main customs office in Munich

© istockphoto.com © alone, may provide a representative Thema 53 > Brew it yourself!

Fighting the counterculture turned into mass-produced items. This, that drives the sector forward. As soon of course, does not happen without a as beer brewing is dominated by trained As with all movements, the globalised fall in quality, as many takeover stories experts that only brew for professional beer industry has also started to deal in the history of beer demonstrate. One reasons rather than out of passion, craft with the counterculture of craft beers. such example is that of the milkman and brewing will cease to be what it is today. Considering the overall decrease in home brewer Pierre Celis. After Hoe- Ralf Bojanowski is a journalist and writes about cultural sales, the beer industry recognises the gaarden lost the last of its breweries in studies and beer. economical potential of the craft beer 1966 Celis began brewing the local style Ralf Bindel is the Editor of Factory and a beer enthusiast. section. One strategy is the development of Belgian wheat beer in an old washtub. of a luxury product line like Braufac- Since 1991 Stella Artois, now the largest tuM, which was put on the market by brewing cooperation in the world and Radeberger, the largest German brewing operating under the name AB Inbev, has group. The group is trying to jump on produced Hoegaarden and has turned it the craft beer bandwagon by offering 25 into the world’s best-selling wheat beer. ‘partner products’ of nine other brewer- Brewing craft beer, quality issues ies and nine of their own varieties. These and the wish to become commercially ‘gourmet beers’, the costs of which range successful by industrialising production from three to thirty euros, are relatively are in the case of home brewing all parts cheap compared to the luxury products of a typical economic cycle that can be of Carlsberg, the fourth largest brewing found in many areas of DIY, especially company in the world. Their Jacobsen in food production. However, it is the Vintage No. 1 and No. 2 that come in home brewers who, time and again, give 0.375-litre bottles cost EUR 270. new energy to this system of innovation Another strategy of the beer gi- and turbulent market shifts. Gregory ants to get smaller fish out of the beer Noonan, a pioneer of the North-Amer- market pond works the same way as ican craft beer scene and owner of the the consolidation process. The most in- Vermont Brewpub, says that the worst novative producers are immediately thing he could imagine is that home bought out and their niche products are brewing would cease to be the engine © istockphoto.com © Thema 54 "From a sustainability perspective, it can make perfectly good economic sense for us to once again do things for ourselves …

or to function within local production communities and economies. The former also provides a good feel for the value of work and of a product—and also makes it clear why, in a world where "greed is great", someone is sure to lose out."

Jens Thomas. Wenn auch Frauen zum Baumarkt gehen. Selbermachen — eine Revolution der Märkte oder eine Anpassung an die Erfordernisse der Arbe- itswelt (When women also go to the DIY store. In Selbermacher – Do it Yourself – a Revolution in the markets or an adaptation to the demands of the la- bour market). An interview with Verena Kuni, art, media and cultural studies expert, co-editor of the volume "Do it Yourself – Die Mitmach-Revolution" and curator of the exhibition of the same name. 29 September 2012 through 28 April 2013 in DASA (Dortmund). Telepolis.de. 17 December 2011

Translated by Christin Schell, Melanie Haschka Thema 55 The Aesthetics of Do-It-Yourself

Crochet needle vs. Apple MacBook and creative solutions vs. industrial products: how does the DIY movement influence young designers and how does DIY contribute to the concept of aesthetics? What do resource-saving design projects in the age of prosuming look like? Marion Digel, a professor at the Folkwang University of Arts in Essen, answers these questions in an interview with Ralf Bindel.

Translated by Yin Yu, Mehmed Sariyildiz, Miriam Handrick Thema 56 > The Aesthetics of Do-It-Yourself Ms. Digel, will the passion of But you have to be interested in people for DIY, fab labs, and saving resources, don’t you? pre-fab products make young designers redundant? Yes. Both theses build on different DIY concepts and rely on the consumers’ The DIY movement is not new at all. Its sense of ecological responsibility. These beginnings go back to the 1950s, reach- concepts do not point the finger, but ing its peak in the 1970s. As the Whole use people’s interest in DIY and their Earth Catalogue shows, designers have emotional connection to their devices. always influenced the DIY movement. Once you arouse their interest, they get Young designers are still engaged on a involved in resource saving. The e-desk is Yuki Ishiguro’s diploma thesis at the conceptual level as the pre-fab projects design faculty of the Folkwang University of Arts in such as e-desk or KEEP show. Both projects also reveal a Essen. An old sewing machine, which is still produced new kind of aesthetics. today, forms the basis of this desk. While you pe- Do these projects combine dal, the desk’s belt drive is activated and its dynamo The e-desk combines the aesthetics of DIY and resource saving? produces electricity, which is then stored in a battery. the industry culture with Japanese mini- You can connect your laptop or mobile phone through various interfaces to the e-desk and benefit from the As a reaction to the debates on sustain- malism, while KEEP combines the old electricity you have just produced yourself. ability and the DIY movement design- with the new. The KEEP project gives old This project was supervised by: Prof. Marion Digel, ers come up with surprising projects. devices a new look, while still preserving Prof. Claudius Lazzeroni The so-called e-desk, presented in Yuki the peculiarities of former generations. Ishiguro’s diploma thesis, uses the pedal KEEP thus transforms your home into a system of a sewing machine to charge unique place in our age of digital tech- mobile phones and laptops. KEEP, Jo- nology. hannes Kunz’s bachelor’s thesis, mod- ernises and lends aesthetic appeal to older Hi-Fi systems. While working at the e-desk, you can charge the battery of your notebook and keep fit at the same time. KEEP will help you avoid tons of electronic waste. Thema 57 > The Aesthetics of Do-It-Yourself How important is aesthetics? cultural influences. I am certain that KEEP is not a new device. Instead, dura- there are creative ‘outgrowths’ just as ble ones are being reused. This gives the there were in the beginnings of digitalis- opportunity to get something new with- ing graphic design. However, even these out wasting resources. The "heat-shrink- aim to challenge the current concepts of tubing" provides a note of nostalgia and aesthetics. gives the HiFi-system a new identity. It is also important to note that everyone What are the ­implications can build the system themselves due to for designers? its simplistic nature. The aesthetics of The role of the designer manifests itself improvisation. in making man interact with objects or concepts of ecological consumer be- But not everyone is so haviour. If these concepts are open for keen on the idea … interpretation, an aesthetic of imperfec- Well, students are, even though many tion, the improvised and the modifiable of them purchase mass products (e.g. is created. The result is a rather open those made by Apple). They question concept of aesthetics that young design- the concept of aesthetics in our modern ers adopt. society, which is influenced by mass- Do you believe in the ­feasibility produced articles. But even Apple fo- KEEP, an idea presented in the bachelor’s thesis by cuses on minimal material usage just as of such projects? Johannes Kunz. Electronic waste is the fastest gro- wing mountain of rubbish. Therefore, KEEP aims to in the minimalistic aesthetics of DIY. This DIY movement will spread if the make audio products that are about to be thrown out aesthetics prove popular and people and to be replaced attractive again. In terms of the Are there any rules to follow in enjoy getting involved. At the moment, sound system and the energy used, these systems have order to reach the promising been at the same level for decades. This project was we have to speak of a countermovement ­future of the aesthetics of DIY? supervised by Prof. Marion Digel and Prof. Claudius to mass consumption and I believe that Lazzeroni. In case there is a typical creative charac- this trend will go on. This will give us the teristic of DIY, we must refer to it as an opportunity to come up with ideas for individualised juxtaposition of different concepts in less developed countries. Thema 58 > The Aesthetics of Do-It-Yourself How popular are DIY and resource sustainability design suggests creating saving among design students? products that bring their users pleasure. It depends on the research focus of the university, of course. The students Does prosuming, i.e. the par- here in Essen are already thinking more ticipation of consumers in the about the significance of production design and production process, and consumption. If students are al- play a role for young designers? lowed to act as driving forces in the Yes, indeed! We pay considerable atten- production and consumption process, tion to consumer behaviour, conduct they will feel far more excited than just surveys, and try out new concepts and As almost all audio devices can be accessed via designing a case. Such creative design- models in cooperation with our users. infrared remote controls, KEEP takes on the role of a ers are strongly in demand, especially in Moreover, our students already know mediator between these devices. Moreover, KEEP allows you to freely programme your devices via smartphone terms of strategic development. what prosuming is all about because apps according to your needs. With regard to aest- they grew up in the age of prosuming. But projects like e-desk or hetics, KEEP places products that you would normally But the individualisation of products throw away into textile cases and gives them a new KEEP have a rather modest still has its limits: consumers need role look in an abstract and amorphous shape. KEEP offers e­ffect on resource saving. you various options to present your unique work of models and guidance. Within these lim- art; you can either place it on its legs or hang it onto It is the addition of the small effects its, however, there is a lot of freedom to the wall with its wall brackets. that leads to the great effect. You have design. to make consumers aware that they can Prof. Marion Digel is the interim have a major impact on resource sav- Dean of the School of Design and ing by contributing little by little. And teaching in the Industrial De- this concept can be marketed as well. sign programme of the Folkwang University of Arts in Essen. I would say that more than half of our students want to have an effect on so- ciety. In this regard, ecology is not the only aspect of sustainability design; so- cial aspects such as inclusion and par- ticipation are also important. Moreover, Impressum 59 > factory The Magazine for Sustainable Economics factory The Magazine for Sustainable Economics

Although the word "factory" is mostly as- Publishers: sociated with the manufacturing industry Aachener Stiftung Kathy Beys More information and and industrial production, it can also in- Schmiedstraße 3, 52062 Aachen services online: dicate Factor Y, the factor by which energy Tel. 0241-40929-0, Fax -20 consumption needs to change so that [email protected], www.aachener-stiftung.de future generations will find themselves You can subscribe to our newsletter, get information Effizienz-Agentur NRW living in similar conditions. Such an un- about the latest news and events, read individual contri- Dr.-Hammacher-Straße 49, 47119 Duisburg derstanding of sustainability implies that butions and make use of other services online. Follow us Tel. 0203-37879-30 all aspects of economic activity need to on Facebook and twitter and spread the word about fac- [email protected], www.efanrw.de be addressed with sustainability in mind, tory and about sustainable economics. including consumer practices as well as Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie GmbH the manufacturing and services sectors. Döppersberg 19, 42103 Wuppertal Tel. 0202-2492-0, Fax -108 Factory highlights the role of businesses [email protected], www.wupperinst.org in sustainable development and aims to draw the drivers of the economy into the Design Concept: public debate. Such development entails Oktober Kommunikationsdesign GmbH, Bochum resource efficient economic practices for www.oktober.de both producers and consumers as well as educating and informing them about sus- Product Realisation: tainability issues. ubb Kommunikation, Bochum Factory is a free magazine that is publis- hed twice a year in PDF format as well as Translation: on the magazine’s website www.factory- Universität Mainz, Fachbereich Angewandte Sprach- und magazine.de. Kulturwissenschaft, Institut für Anglistik, Amerikanistik und Anglophonie, Prof. Dr. Donald Kiraly & Students Factory - The Magazine www.fask.uni-mainz.de for Sustainable Economics ISSN: 1860-6229 Printing: 8th year of publication: 3.2012 Circlematt White Matt, Images printed on 100% recycled paper. Editor: Accreddited with the Blauen Umweltengel Label und the Responsible for contents according to §10 EU Eco-Label. paragraph 3 MDStV: Ralf Bindel Publishing House: Druckverlag Kettler, Bönen ▶ www.factory-magazin.de Am Varenholt 123, 44797 Bochum The contributions published in factory do not necessari- Tel. 0234-9799513 ly represent the views of the publisher. Any unsolicited ▶ Subscribe to our Newsletter [email protected] text elements, photos or other materials contained in the publication have been submitted by the editor who, Advertising: however, assumes no liability for them. Copyright owned rabe - medienbüro by both the authors and editor. Reprinting or reproduction Tel. 0234-9799513, www.rabebuero.de (including of extracts) permitted on condition that the Advertising pricelist 1.2012 author is named and a link to www.factory-magazin.de is currently valid included. Bequem. Grün. Von hier.

FernwärmeKomfort

Ob Eigenheim oder Mehrfamilienhaus: Wärme ist nicht gleich Wärme. Wirt schaft- Der Clou: Weil unsere Fernwärme so eine saubere Sache ist, erfüllen Sie mit ihr lich sollte sie sein, einfach zu handhaben und so energieeffizient wie möglich. All auto matisch die gesetzliche Forderung nach dem Einsatz erneuerbarer Energien! das bietet Ihnen die Fernwärme der Stadtwerke Bochum. Sie ist kostengünstig, Stellen Sie jetzt einfach auf FernwärmeKomfort um oder lassen Sie sich ganz neu komfortabel und klimaschonend. Und wir erzeugen sie ganz in Ihrer Nähe. ans Fern wärme netz anschließen. Wir beraten Sie gerne.

Infos unter 0234 960 3737 www.stadtwerke-bochum.de

AZ_Fernwaerme_A4_quer.indd 1 16.01.12 13:11