A framework analysis of the “open paradigm”. Four approaches to openness in the field of design

Open design is a term that expresses a plurality of meanings and, according to the literature on the subject, is difficult to define due to due to the variety of its practices and applications. This research study seeks to examine the opening phenomena related to design by imagining a more extensive and articulated area that may be called the “open paradigm” in the field of design. Starting from the analysis of the 20 case studies cited most often in the literature on open design, the research study outlines a framework for the “open paradigm” by identifying four different approaches to openness: OS – Open source approach, CO – Collaborative approach, CR – crowd approach and OM – open manufacturing approach. These approaches are not new to design research, but they are often studied within the confines of their own contexts. The paper explains each approach in written and visual form, to synthetize the different modes of operation in relation to the design process, analyses them as part of a system and concludes by identifying the attributes of each approach in term of dynamics, tools, resources skills and the role of the designer.