Disassembly refers to the act of taking something apart, often a piece of machinery, primarily for reuse. In product design, disassembly means analysing an object to understand its parts and characteristics. Despite its broader potential, disassembly in product design is often associated exclusively with sustainability, reparability, and reuse strategies (Design for Disassembly, DfD). This article explores its value as a training and educational tool for young designers.

As products become more complex, and as knowledge of materials, manufacturing technologies and assembly techniques grows in importance, methods and tools for analysing existing products have been integrated into design education - disassembly being one of them. Examining everyday objects helps to deconstruct what Duncker defines as ‘functional fixedness’, the tendency to focus solely on the typical use of an object or one of its parts. Aligning with Kolb’s learning-by-doing approach, this article reflects on the benefits of incorporating hands-on exercises that enhance manual dexterity within educational programs.

The paper aims to investigate the skills developed through disassembly by identifying two levels of learning: a macro level, a technical and practical dimension, focusing on the skills acquired during the act of disassembly; and a micro level, a strategic and reflective dimension, concerning how disassembly shapes approaches to product design. Following an initial analysis of the literature and common applications of disassembly theories, the paper introduces a new perspective based on the results of a five-week design studio conducted with young designers in their early training phase. The different phases of the exercise, along with their content and outputs, will be discussed. Additionally, the educational value of disassembly and its broader implications for design will be examined to address the central question: how can disassembly improve product design and innovation while educating designers?

To address this question, the study proposes a possible categorization of disassembly values into:
i) disassembly for product understanding,
ii) disassembly as a method for deconstructing complex problems, and
iii) disassembly to foster lateral thinking. For each category, the theoretical foundations and educational implications will be summarized.

The article aims to demonstrate how disassembly can enhance the training of future designers by identifying key learning areas and defining their significance. To design a product, one must first understand its components and how they function. This requires analyzing each component individually, which, in turn, necessitates breaking down, or disassembling, the product. This study highlights the educational and training value of disassembly, emphasizing its role in fostering a more conscious and informed approach to design.

Keywords: Product design, product disassembling, design methodology, design education, learning by doing.