He also noticed that once the device was broken, it was almost impossible to repair. This simple discovery led him to brainstorm about how the junked java maker could be redesigned with an eye toward repair, modification, and small-scale manufacturing.

“As more people have access to rapid-prototyping machines, it is becoming much more realistic for the production of quite technical objects to occur individually and locally,” says Howard. “I think that the fact that many of the objects we use on a daily basis have become closed, with technical components hidden behind slick enclosures, has lead to a desire for simple, understandable objects.”