Paper Accepted: Gameful IoT Repair at DiGRA 2025
I’m thrilled to share that our paper “Gameful IoT Repair” has been accepted to DiGRA 2025. It’s always a great feeling to make it through the double-blind peer review process, and I’m excited to present this work at the conference this summer.
About the Paper
Electronic waste (e-waste) is the fastest growing waste stream in the world, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices — now found in homes and communities everywhere — are a significant contributor. Many IoT products are designed with short lifecycles, poor repairability, and little consideration of what happens at the end of their use. As a result, devices are often prematurely and improperly disposed of, feeding into the mounting global e-waste crisis.
Our paper argues that if society is to successfully embrace repair and reuse as part of a wider sustainability transition, citizens and communities need better access to knowledge and practical repair skills. To explore this, we present two serious games — Re:Play and RepairLand — designed to encourage and support the development of a stronger culture of repair for smart devices.
Design and Reflection
Developed using Research-through-Design and Speculative Design approaches, both games embody design decisions and critical reflections that highlight the possibilities of playful engagement with repair. The paper discusses how gameful methods can open up new conversations about sustainability, empower people to think differently about technology, and support longer-lasting, repairable futures for IoT devices.
I’m looking forward to sharing more about this work at DiGRA 2025 — and to the conversations it will spark around games, repair, and sustainability.
