When people hear the term Open Source, most will think about software and file sharing. In fact Open Source is much more and is a model that can be applied to most aspects of our daily life.
The culture of free information sharing is nothing new, but the introduction of the internet has given it significant momentum and has catalyzed it’s promotion and development.
In it’s most common applications, Open Source can be the website that offered you the free crochet pattern, or the online food recipe. Who would have imagined that Wikipedia would become the Encyclopedia of choice? There are wordpress and tumblr platforms for open source journalism which anyone can modify to suit their personal online needs and expression.
The recent introduction of 3D Printing/Maker Labs where anyone can print their own products means Open Source is entering the 3rd dimension.
With increasing understanding of Open Source product, Filmmaker Sam Muirhead has started a project where he intends to live without proprietary goods for a year. A project which aims to explore and develop the collaborative nature and opportunities of Open Source. But given the infancy of the Open Source model, it will be interesting to see how he will overcome many daily obstacles.
But just as blogging and Wikipedia have become popular, I believe that Sam is one step ahead of us, and the sharing/community nature of Open Source will only become more popular with time.
“a philosophy that encourages openness, sharing and modification” – Sam Muirhead
Follow Sam on his site called YEAR OF OPEN SOURCE.
Via GOOD TECHNOLOGY
The collective nature of the Open Source model might appear as a new interpretation of Socialism and the democratization of information might seem threatening to many leading businesses that rely on the exclusivity of their innovations. But quite possibly Open Source can create a more competitive market with more people collectively working to develop designs and finding solutions. Accelerating and unrestraining technological progress towards a goal of “Ephemeralization“.
In a previous post on Buckminster Fuller, Architect, designer and evolutionary strategist titled “Buckminster Fuller and Designing for the Benefit of Humanity” I touched upon the concept of “Ephemeralization“.
“Ephemeralization“ was a term coined in 1922 by Buckminster Fuller and is the ability of technological advancement to do “more and more with less and less until eventually you can do everything with nothing”. Providing everyone with affordable essential resources and increasing time for personal growth and pursuits. Computers have already helped us streamline and create more efficient processing, and today much more work can be done in less time than 20 years ago (when footwear design tech packs were drawn by hand). Free Email and Skype have accelerated the way we communicate and allow people as myself to work remotely. Sharing operating systems, email and Skype we are already doing “more with less”.
The sharing nature of Open Source could mean another step in the transition towards “Ephemeralization. A more efficient world with enough affordable essential living resources for everyone’s basic needs and reduced pollution.
“The future is open-source everything,” Linus Torvalds, Founder of Linux
“Openly licensing allows others to replicate, reuse, adapt, improve, adopt, bring to scale, write about, talk about, remix, translate, digitize, redistribute and build upon what we have done.” – Shuttleworth Foundation
How the Open Source model with develop with regards to Footwear Design and Production remains to be seen. But with the development of additive production technologies its not hard to imagine Maker Labs printing footwear soles, or weaving and laser cutting footwear uppers (all custom designed and downloaded from the internet).
Maybe some Open Source shoe uppers will be laser cut and the parts fused in a way similar to this video of the Nike Hyperfuse.
Bonding thermoplastic polyurethane film, mesh, and synthetic material using a hot-melt process, eliminating all stitching and simplifying construction.
With new interesting design details like the “Flat Pack” nature of the Nike Hyperenforcer eyelets.
74 FOOTWEAR DESIGN CONSULTING 