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A prototype of the RepRap general-purpose 3D printer that not only could be used to make structures and functional components for open design projects but is an open-source project itself. RepRap is also being designed with the ability to make copies of itself.

Open design is the application of open source methods to the creation of physical products, machines and systems.

The principles of open design are derived from the Free Software and Open Source movements. ^[1] In 1997 Eric S. Raymond, Tim O'Reilly and Larry Augustin established "Open Source" as an alternative expression to "Free Software," and in 1997 Bruce Perens published the Open Source Definition. In late 1998, Dr. Sepehr Kiani (a PhD in mechanical engineering from MIT) realized that designers could benefit from Open Source policies, and in early 1999 he convinced Dr. Ryan Vallance and Dr. Samir Nayfeh of the potential benefits of open design in machine design applications.^[2]. Together they established the Open Design Foundation (ODF) as a non-profit corporation, and set out to develop an Open Design Definition.^[2].

The idea of open design was taken up, either simultaneously or subsequently, by several other groups and individuals. The principles of open design are closely similar to those of Open source hardware design, which emerged in March 1998 when Reinoud Lamberts of the University of Delft proposed on his “Open Design Circuits” website the creation of a hardware design community in the spirit of free software. ^[3]

The open design movement currently unites two trends. On the one hand, people apply their skills and time to projects for the common good, perhaps where funding or commercial interest is lacking, for developing countries or to help to spread ecological or cheaper technologies. At the other end of the scale, open design may provide a framework for developing very advanced projects and technologies that might be beyond the resource of any one company or country and involve people who, without the copyleft mechanism, might not otherwise collaborate.

The "open design" movement is currently fairly nascent but holds great potential for the future. In some respects design and engineering are even more suited to open collaborative development than the increasing common open-source software projects, because with 3D models and photographs the concept can often be understood visually. It is not even necessary that the project members speak the same languages to usefully collaborate.

However there are certain barriers to overcome for open design when compared to software development where there are mature and widely used tools available and the duplication and distribution of code cost next to nothing. Creating, testing and modifying physical designs is not quite so straightforward because of the effort, time and cost required to create the physical artefact; although with access to emerging flexible computer-controlled manufacturing techniques the complexity and effort of construction can be significantly reduced (see tools mentioned in the fab lab article).

Open design is currently a fledgling movement consisting of several unrelated or loosely related initiates. Many of these organizations are single, funded projects, while a few organizations are focusing on an area needing development. Only one organization to date is attempting to organize the movement into a large-scale collaborative effort whose role is analogous to that of sourceforge in the open source software movement.

• Anansi Spaceworks is applying the principles of open source to the colonisation of space.
• Appropedia and Village Earth's Appropriate Technology Wiki Project are wiki projects focused on the development of a database of appropriate technologies and related areas.
• Architecture for Humanity is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that seeks architectural solutions to humanitarian crisis and brings design services to communities in need. They provide innovative, sustainable and collaborative design where resources and expertise are scarce. In addition to responding to recent natural disasters and systemic issues they are working with a number of high tech companies, including Sun Microsystems, AMD and Creative Commons to develop the Open Architecture Network to allow for online collaborative design and project implementation. A beta version of this network launches March 8, 2007 at the annual TED conference.
• Designbreak – a nonprofit organization with an elegant development interface including a system for displaying CAD files in context. Designbreak purports to actively seek out or fund the manufacture of designs that have an application for the social good. Users may apply for both open design and research grants under this organization; paid employment is available where appropriate to leaders of funded projects.
• Instructables is a website where people can share how they construct something in a step-by-step format. It was started by the MIT spin-off 'Squid Labs' originally as a quick and easy way to document and collaborate on their many projects, but is now open for everyone to use and is growing fast. Full of fun, interesting and useful things to make.
• O.Design - open source Italian Design community
• Open Design - the website of the Open Design Foundation
• Open Peer-to-Peer Design - a website dedicated to the relationships between Design, Open Source and Complexity. More precisely, it's about how to face complex problems as sustainability using design as a tool to enable Open and Peer-to-Peer self-organizing communities.
• Society for Sustainable Mobility is implementing a 3-part solutions to the environmental problem caused by modern transportation. One of the key elements is the Open Design Infrastructure that support Open Design in a mass-market automotive environment. The Open Design Infrastrucutre includes the licensing structure and an open PDM/PLM system. The licensing scheme, however, indirectly prohibits the intellectual properties from uses other than for improving environmental sustainability.
• ThinkCycle is perhaps the oldest successful open design organization. ThinkCycle has a small, active community of participants. Several ThinkCycle projects have won development and innovation awards. Features limited message board type collaboration. The primary focus of Thinkcycle is on challenges among underserved communities and the environment.
• The Concentrated Solar Power Open Source Initiative (CSPOSI) - "Low cost solar energy through open source design". Umbrella website for multiple projects.

These links relate to open standards but are not truly open in the free and open-source sense due to license restrictions.

• Open Design Alliance The Open Design Alliance is an association of software developers and users committed to promoting open, industry-standard formats for the exchange of CAD data.
• IntelliCAD Technology Consortium is an independent organization committed to promoting a cooperatively developed CAD engine. The IntelliCAD Technology Consortium is one of several Founding Members of the Open Design Alliance.

• GOOD STOVE - An initiative to mitigate climate change through adaptation".
• The Open Source Green Vehicle (SSM-OSGV) is a project of the Society for Sustainable Mobility (SSM), a nonprofit organization. SSM's 3-part Mission is to create business plans, sustainable technologies and an open design infrastructure (including a licensing structure and a web-based PDM system) to enable open-design development of highly fuel efficient vehicles.
• OScar (open source car) The OScar project an open source car "simple and functional project".
• C,mm,n-project, aiming to design an open source car (thus being similar to the OScar project)
• Open Source Velomobile Development Project - velomobile project from the International Human Powered Vehicle Association
• SHPEGS project - collective development of a system that uses indirect solar collection to generate electricity, produce clean water and store thermal energy
• RepRap - an open-source rapid prototyping machine from the University of Bath with the additional aim of being substantially self-replicating, i.e. for the machine to be able to make most of the parts necessary to create a copy of itself.
• Fab@Home - an open-source rapid prototyping machine from Cornell University
• Eunicycle - partially self-balancing motorised unicycle
• Open design products by designer Ronen Kadushin
• Hind/CM - a conceptual computer of Indian origin.
• RONJA - a completely open source optical wireless networking device
• The Open Prosthetics Project
• Whirlwind wheelchair - a wheelchair designed to be made in developing countries with local resources.
• opensourceproductdesign - an open-source product design platform.
• Lunar Boom Town[1] is a http://www.wikiversity.org learning project using the open/free paradigm to study and create lunar appropriate free technology and business methods.

• Episodes of Collective Invention (Peter B. Meyer, August 2003) An article on several historical examples of what could be called "open design."
• The Political Economy of Open Source Software (Steven Weber, June 2000) An article outlining the development of Linux from a political-science perspective. The conclusion suggests that the open-source development model is suited to disciplines besides software development.
• worldchanging archives (Alex Steffen, November 2006) An interview with Lawrence Lessig on the use of the Developing Nations License by Architecture for Humanity to create a global open design network.

Free software Portal

• Commons-based peer production
• Machine design
• Open source
• Open source software
• Open source hardware - open-source computer and electronic hardware
• Open Standards