Technology sets us free, yet holds us back. Often, we are surrounded by wires and tangled in an electronic mess. These tools solve our modern problems with traditional techniques. Anyone can make them, and everyone can modify them to suit themselves.

How can we make electronic accessories more durable, more accommodating, and easier to recycle?

The paperclip is an age-old symbol of open design.

I wanted to apply the same ideas of open form and transparency to consumer electronics, which are fraught with patent restrictions and planned obsolescence. I asked, how can lo-tech wire-bending solve hi-tech electronic problems?

Heavy and rigorous material exploration lead to streamlined, durable products. By testing a wide range of metals, radii, and bending techniques, I was able to refine the hardware significantly. Additionally, some of the later prototypes were manufactured by an automated wire-bender outside of London.

'Wire for Wire' offers a sustainable solution to our ever-changing electronic needs. By creating accessories that can be modified and eventually recycled, we can both increase product life and decrease needless landfill waste.

With a simple jig or wire-bender, almost anyone can bend these designs themselves. Empowering individuals to look for simple solutions-- before buying more complicated answers -- is a step towards increasing cultural awareness about consumption and a bit of education about simple fabrication processes.