The durability of a product, considered as one of the aspects of quality, is defined as the operational lifespan of a product under optimum operating conditions. This is conditioned by a series of factors including: the legislative requirements, the market dynamics to adapt to new trends, technological progress, and the attitude and behaviour of the consumers.

Those factors have evolved over time and guidelines have been established for durability and lifetime extension of the products to become a key aspect in the future in the quality of the products.

The fifth Ideas Notebook, covering Product Durability, aims to be an introduction to the concept, setting out the current trends affecting both legislation and users, and foreseeing the implications that those changes may have on current business models.

• Wrap (Switched on to value)
• Wrap (Longer product lifetimes)
• The Guardian (Six design strategies longer lasting products)
• The Guardian (Products that last in pictures)
• Europa (Policies matters)