Research 
Useful Organisations
................................................................................> Make-It-Yourself (MIY), Creative Reuse & Open Product Design
The following organisations are leading the way in MIY, ReUse and Open Design. Between them they represent best practice across the areas of sustainable, community-led Design. At Co-oproduct we strive to keep ahead with current happenings and developments in this area so that we can feedback this information to our members. If you know of any new models of good practice that should be on this list, please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and let us know.
Make-It-Yourself
Instructables http://www.instructables.com
A website full of user-created MIY projects. Instructables ia a testiment to step-by-step collaboration between a community of people. Instructables members post free instructions for projects which are free for all to share, edit, comment on and build themselves.
Readymade http://www.readymade.com
Coined by Marcel Duchamp in 1915, Readymade is a website and magazine which is all about people making things and the culture of making. A Makers feast of DIY project ideas, centred on using found objects as a source of inspiration.
A website, magazine and community which is absolutely loaded with exciting DIY projects that show you how to make the most out of technology.
IKEA Hackers http://www.ikeahackers.net
A website which hosts a huge directory of user-submitted 'hacks' of modifications on and repurposing of Ikea products. The site showcases alternative ideas on how to personalise, repurpose and reuse Ikea products to make them what you want.
ReUse
Recycle This http://www.recyclethis.co.uk
A website full of creative ideas for reuse and recycling everyday objects. The site pulls together the best ideas and suggestions of ways to reuse, repurpose and recycle things that would otherwise go in the bin.
Freecycle http://www.freecycle.org
A non profit organisation which champions community ReUse. The Freecycle network is a huge movement of people who 'give' and 'receive' unwanted items within their local communities.
Reuze http://www.reuze.co.uk
Website which provides support and advice on how, what and where to recycle in the UK.
The Furniture Re-Use Network (FRN) http://www.frn.org.uk
The national co-ordinating body for furniture and appliance re-use and recycling organisations in the UK that collect household items to pass onto people in need.
[Re] Design http://www.redesigndesign.org
A social enterprise that champions sustainable design and supports creative people who don't want to make landfill. [Re]Design have recently hosted a number of DIY demos and workshops focusing on ReUse.
Unconsumption http://unconsumption.tumblr.com
A rich and highly resourceful Creative ReUse blog piloting mindful consumption. Unconsumption is an idea, a set of behaviors, a way of thinking about consumption itself from a new perspective.
Recycle Outdoor Gear (ROG) http://recycleoutdoorgear.com/
The UK’s first free of charge online service dedicated to helping everyone find a solution to the endless amounts of gently used and unwanted outdoor clothing & equipment taking up space in cupboards, lofts and garage. Recycle Outdoor Gear (ROG) allows you to post an ad to sell or swap outdoor clothing and equipment and it’s all free of charge.
Repair and Improve
Sugru http://sugru.com/
A fantastic new air-curing rubber that can be formed by hand. It bonds to most materials and turns into a strong, flexible silicone rubber overnight. Perfect for Improving, Repairing and of course ReUsing!
Fixers Collective http://fixerscollective.org
Fixers' Colletive NYC is a group of folks in Brooklyn, NYC who are dedicated to working together to fix things - encouraging improvisational fixing and mending and fighting planned obsolescence. Their goal is to increase material literacy in the community by fostering an ethic of creative caring toward the objects in our lives.
Open Product Innovation
Quirky http://www.quirky.com
Social Product Innovation. Crowdsourcing product development site where the community submits around 30 product ideas each week to be evaluated by the rest of the community and Quirky. Each week two ideas are chosen to be developed.
Ponoko http://www.ponoko.com
An online marketplace where everyone can make real things. A database of tens of thousands of user-generated product designs, ready to customized and made into real products. Ponoko is also one of the first manufacturers to use distributed manufacturing and on-demand manufacturing.
Open IDEO http://www.openideo.com
Online platform where creative thinkers can design together. Members are invited to participate and feedback on challenges posted by IDEO which are focused on social good and well-being.
Open Design City http://opendesigncity.de/
A Makerlab/Hackerspace/Fablab located on the ground floor of Betahaus, the largest coworking space in Germany. Open Design City is a collaborative space which encourages the sharing of tools, knowledge, ideas and skills, where the principles of Open Product Design are explored.
RepRap http://reprap.org
A community project which is leading the open-source 3D printer revolution. RepRap is a self replicating, free, 3D desktop printer capable of printing plastic opbjects which anyone can build themselves.
Shapeways http://www.shapeways.com
Shapeways is a leading 3D printing marketplace and community. This NY start-up harnesses 3D printing to help anyone turn ideas into a physical reality, making product design more accessible, personal, and inspiring. Shapeways prints everything on-demand, which means that every order is customized and personalized.
Open Innovation
Open Innovators http://www.openinnovators.net/
Organisation bringing new insights and best practices on open innovation, crowdsourcing, and co-creation.
Shareable http://shareable.net
A nonprofit online community and magazine which champions sharing and community-led sharing projects.
Hackerspace http://hackerspaces.org
Hackerspaces are community-operated physical places, where people can meet and work on their projects.
Open Education
Skillshare http://www.skillshare.com
Skillshare is a community marketplace where you can learn anything from anyone. Their mission is to transform education by empowering teaching and democratizing learning.
Autodesk Sustainability workshop - Design Strategies http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/design-strategies
The Sustainability Workshop by Autodesk is a online resource packed with lots of free tools and guidance on how to design sustainably.
IP and Freesharing
Creative Commons http://creativecommons.org/
A non-profit organisation who champion creativity, sharing and collaboration. The organization offers several free copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons Licenses which allow creators to Share, Remix and Reuse - Legally.
GNU General Public License http://www.gnu.org/copyleft
Copyleft license which uses a novel use of existing copyright law to ensure work remains freely available.
Crowd Funding
Crowdfunding http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk
UK-based social fundraising site for creative ideas. The organisation offers free membership and no joining fees.
Kickstarter http://www.kickstarter.com
World-wide funding platform for creative projects where every week people pledge millions of dollars to projects across the fields of music, film, food, publishing, technology, art and design.
