Open Design is an approach to promoting innovation. Just like the scientific method, the Open Design combines independent work into a collaborative effort by publically sharing information. In this case, we are fostering innovative design by sharing detailed design documentation such as CAD data.

The sharing of design documentation is regulated by a license agreement that is must satisfy the Open Design Definition. The Open Design Definition establishes the essential requirements for a license to be certified as an Open Design license.

The Open Design Definition is currently in draft form, and will soon be available for download at the Open Design Foundation web site. The first version of the document will probably be quite similar to the Open Source Definition, which was written by Bruce Perens in 1997. The draft version of the Open Design Definition should insure that:

• documentation of a design is available for free,
• anyone is free to use or modify the design by changing the design documentation,
• anyone is free to distribute the original or modified designs (for fee or for free)

Open Design derives many benefits from the freedoms provided by the Open Design Definition and certified Open Design Licenses. These benefits include:

• Rapid innovation
  • Many people can review and enhance an Open Design
• Develop robust designs
  • Designs are used and tested in a wider variety of contexts
  • Many people are discoverying opportunities for design improvements
  • Many people can modify the design
• Reduce development expenses
  • Reduce or eliminate redundant design efforts
  • This makes for lean design projects
• Increase design longevity
  • Worthy designs are not abondoned because a company goes out of business
  • Worthy designs are not abondoned becuase someone doesn't believe they're profitable
  • Old designs can be incorporated into new aggregate designs
• Establish standards
  • Open Designs become standards through proliferation
• Reduce the cost of ownership and support
  • Using free design documentation, you can determine how the design should work
  • You can ask anyone to modify the design for you
• Increase modularity, reconfigurability, and interchangeability
  • Components of an Open Design can easily be replaced, exchanged, or redesigned
• Eliminates single-source availability
  • Anyone or any organization can fabricate or manufacture an Open Design

The concept for Open Design is derived from concepts in the software industry known as "Copyleft", "Free Software", and "Open Source". These concepts originated over many years with computer hackers throughout the world, and they became commerially recognized around 1997. Since then, several Open Source programs have become commercially available; the LINUX operating system, GNU, and Mozilla are probably the most famous.

In late 1998, Dr. Sepehr Kiani, who was finishing his Ph.D. in mechanical design at MIT, recognized that designers can realize benefits through a project similar to Open Source. In early 1999, Sepehr convinced two of his MIT colleagues, Dr. Samir Nayfeh and Dr. Ryan Vallance, that Open Design indeed had unique advantages, especially in their area of interest -- machine design.

Shortly after that, Dr. Nayfeh initiated the Open Manufacturing Equipment (OME) project in his Machine Dynamics Lab at MIT. OME intends to promote innovation in common manufacturing equipment such as machine tools.

Also during 1999, Dr. Vallance left MIT, went to the University of Kentucky, and founded the Precision Systems Laboratory (PSL). The PSL is innitiating the Open Microfabrication and Nanofabrication Equipment (OMNE) project.

During May of 2000, the Open Design Foundation was established by Kiani, Nayfeh, and Vallance. The Open Design Foundation is a non-profit organization to promote Open Design, certify Open Design Licenses, and distribute design documentation for Open Design projects.