Consumer electronics bond fast-ageing parts, like the battery and compute, to slow-ageing ones, like optics and the frame, in a single object. When the fastest part fails, the whole device is retired, along with components that still work.

The thesis proposes the Cadence-Aware Modularity Framework: replacement cadence, rather than usage scenario or type of obsolescence, decides where module boundaries go. It combines desk research (including EU regulation read in primary form), a comparative analysis of a laptop, a smartphone and a pair of AR smart glasses, and interviews with practitioners and Gen Z consumers. Participants who had never seen the framework reached several of its mechanisms on their own, and added one it had missed: retrofitting depends on trust in whoever does the repair.

Full title: Adaptable Design for Product Longevity: Cadence-Aware Modularity and Economic Viability in Consumer Electronics, with Augmented-Reality Smart Glasses as a Lead Case. MSc in Innovation and Product Management, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, September 2026. Supervisor: FH-Prof. Dipl.-Des. Dr. Markus Kretschmer.