Eric Fan
Industrial design MID
Rhode Island School of Design
Graduates: 2026
Specialisms: Sustainable Design / Interaction Design / Design Research
My location: New York, United States
Eric Fan
First Name: Eric
Last Name: Fan
University / College: Rhode Island School of Design
Course / Program: Industrial design MID
Graduates: 2026
Specialisms: Sustainable Design / Interaction Design / Design Research
My Location: New York, United States
Website: Click To See Website
About
Working across objects, products, and services, Eric Fan uses conceptual design to explore alternative approaches to sustainability. His practice, The Boring Objects Bureau, is a studio that critiques the current sustainability landscape within design, where conversations often revolve around new materials, manufacturing technologies, or logistical systems. Instead, it asks whether sustainability itself could become a product feature rather than simply a virtue to pursue.
Boring Objects Bureau: Phones
The Boring Objects Bureau is a design studio for exploring new approaches to product sustainability, with the smartphone as its first object of investigation. Phones occupy an interesting space within sustainability, where approaches such as increased repairability can struggle with desirability. In markets where consumers can afford to replace their devices, repairing a phone can feel inconvenient or less appealing than simply buying something new. As an alternate approach, the Bureau wanted to ask whether common types of breakage widely regarded as ‘failure states’, such as degraded batteries or cracked screens, could instead be embraced and turned into new device experiences?
Competitions
