Open collaborative design/Intro

Open collaborative design involves applying the highly successful free and open-source software methodologies to the design of artifacts and systems in the physical world. Designs are licensed in such a way that they are freely available for anyone to make use of, build upon and help evolve. New generations of collaborative CAD programs will allow people to choose from vast libraries of components, assemblies and whole artifacts to evolve further or customise.

Open design principles can apply to the simplest things that can be made by individuals and groups, all the way up to large-scale systems of national and global infrastructure.

Design issues get ironed out due to the involvement of many interested people, and among them are likely to be individuals who are able to see obvious solutions; and as it is a non-proprietary system they are willing help improve it for everyone's benefit. This way of working also minimizes the massive duplication of effort that occurs worldwide today in commercial design and engineering - due to the ways companies are forced to behave, operating within the current economic framework.

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