The Guilder

Repair Exchange Platform

About
What
The Guilder facilitated the repair of broken objects in exchange for skills, services, or materials. Over a three-month period, almost forty objects were repaired. Each repair is documented through photographs and shared on the Guilder's website and a book to inspire more people to repair.

Who
Ollee (Studio Kapot's founder) started offering his community members free repairs. The only cost? Offering a repair to someone else. The Guidler was created to track these exchanges and act as a tool for individuals with broken objects to find people who could repair them for free. 150 people registered interest in the platform.

Where
Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The system operated locally to minimise the distance people and objects travelled.

When
January 2022 - April 2022.

Why
The Guilder aimed to combat waste and promote repair over replacement by encouraging non-monetary exchanges. By setting the 'value' of exchanges to the discretion of involved individuals, the platform debunked the notion that repair isn't worth it. The photographic documentation inspired repair efforts and highlighted the local availability of repair knowledge.


Features

The Good News Network
Fight to Repair Podcast
Dutch Design Week 2023

All images by Ollee Means
Exc. Last image by Femke Reijerman