Do-it-yourself

From the handaxe to desktop fabrication

From the handaxe to desktop fabrication

Do-it-yourself is a new, yet old trend. DIY stores, ATMs, ticket machines, Ikea, and Wikipedia are part of our everyday life. In a world in which businesses transfer part of their production to the customer, the latter develops more and more ideas for home production.
By Ralf Bindel
Translated by Stefanie Scheu, Antje Boldt, Caroline Hutter read more
Standing on One’s Own Feet

Standing on One’s Own Feet

Do-it-yourself (DIY) does not stand for the division of labour, but for the preservation of resources.
A modern subsistence economy cannot exist without it.
By Gerhard Scherhorn
Translated by Lea Schiefen, Karina Janowska, Christin Brauer read more
DIY – Konturen einer neuen Lebens- und Wirtschaftskultur

DIY – Konturen einer neuen Lebens- und Wirtschaftskultur

Welche wirtschaftliche Dimension erreicht in Zukunft das Selbermachen, was ist der quasi- industrielle Aspekt von Do-it-yourself? Hat der Trend zum Selbermachen nachhaltige Effekte und wie integrieren ihn Unternehmen? Der Standpunkt eines Zukunftsforschers.
Von Holger Glockner read more
Should you really DIY?

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
Translated by Alina Junk read more
Dann brau es doch selbst!

Dann brau es doch selbst!

Bier ist ein hervorragendes Beispiel für die Notwendigkeit des Selbermachens. Das Modell des Selberbrauens lässt sich auf viele Dinge des täglichen Lebens übertragen: Überall dort, wo die Industrie einen fahlen Einheitsgeschmack hinterlässt, rebellieren Selbermacher mit der Befriedigung zunächst ihrer persönlichen Bedürfnisse und liefern dann Innovationen und Kultur für die Gemeinschaft. Von Ralf Bindel und Ralf Bojanowski read more
Faires, Gutes und Schönes

Faires, Gutes und Schönes

Sessel aus Fahrradschläuchen und Altpapier, dekorative Schüsseln aus Ölfässern, faire Fashion und viele gute Produkte zum Essen, Trinken, Anziehen, Fahren, Wohnen und Nutzen - das ist die Kombination aus Gut. Die Messe, Heldenmarkt, Creative Stage und Dialog N für Sustainable Design in der Bochumer Jahrhunderthalle. Alles, um den nachhaltigen Lebensstil selber machen zu können. read more

More Do-it-Yourself

Michelle Obama is into DIY, as is her husband. The First Lady planted a garden at the White House and added some beehives. By planting this garden, she is promoting the concept of community gardens. With the bees’ honey, the US President brews his own beer: a Honey Brown Ale. Its recipe has been published by the White House, so that everyone has access to it and it is said to be not bad at all.

Urban gardening, do-it-yourself and the collaborative revolution are the ‘green’ topics of the feature pages over the last two years. No doubt there is a trend towards people working more, and this does not refer to paid full-time work. In these times, when nearly everything can be done digitally, doing something with your hands is a growing social phenomenon, doing more yourself and doing it together with others. Do it yourself is not just an attitude. 

In fab labs, hacker spaces or repair cafés, a cultured 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 consumers are becoming prosumers who co-design and co-produce as companies turn part of the value chain over to them. Entrepreneurs have discovered that a high degree of manufacturing penetration helps them to cater to clients’ wishes in a flexible way. They are more productive if prosumers help them. If there are new technologies like 3D printers, the relation between consumers and producers can shift even further – to one side as well as to the other side. It will change in any case. And if, on top of that, resource protection and sustainable development become the focus of DIY enthusiasts, … oh, they already have? Well then, have fun homebrewing!

Ralf Bindel, Editor

Translated by Christin Schell, Melanie Haschka

 

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