OpenDoTT · Project

Open-Design Methods for Building IoT Products People Actually Trust

digitalPrototypeTRL 3Thin data (2/5)

dev.research.northumbria.ac.uk

Imagine every gadget in your home — your thermostat, doorbell, fridge — is connected to the internet, but you have no idea what data it collects or who sees it. This project trained a group of PhD researchers to tackle exactly that problem by combining open-source hardware design with user-centered research. They worked with communities to co-design IoT concepts that put transparency and user control first, like building a car with the hood you can actually open. The result is a set of design methods, prototypes, and policy recommendations that show how to make connected devices trustworthy from the ground up.

By the numbers

consortium partners across academia, industry, and open-source communities

countries represented in the consortium (DE, DK, IN, IT, NL, UK, US)

45%

industry ratio among consortium partners

technology demonstrators and prototype deliverables produced

iterative rounds of co-designed IoT concepts with public audiences

total deliverables produced by the project

The business problem

What needed solving

Consumer trust in IoT devices is critically low — people worry about data privacy, vendor lock-in, and losing control over their own devices. Companies building connected products face a double bind: rush to market with closed systems that erode trust, or slow down to address user concerns and lose competitive ground. There is no widely adopted methodology for designing IoT products that are transparent, open, and trustworthy by default.

The solution

What was built

The project produced 6 key demo deliverables: technology demonstrators using platforms like Arduino and Raspberry Pi, experience prototypes capturing IoT interaction patterns, and 3 rounds of co-designed IoT concepts refined with public audiences. All outputs are documented as source code, digital fabrication files, videos, and Instructables. An additional 13 deliverables covered training, dissemination, and policy research.

Audience

Who needs this

IoT product startups building consumer-facing connected devicesSmart home device manufacturers wanting to differentiate on trust and transparencyMunicipal smart city offices deploying connected urban infrastructurePrivacy and compliance consultancies advising IoT companiesOpen hardware communities developing community-governed IoT platforms

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Consumer Electronics

SME

Target: IoT product manufacturers building connected home devices

If you are a consumer electronics company struggling with customer distrust of smart home products — this project developed co-design methods and experience prototypes showing how to build IoT devices with transparency baked in. Their 6 technology demonstrators and design concept sets offer tested blueprints for user-centered connected products. With 5 industry partners validating the approach, these methods can reduce the trust gap that kills adoption of new smart devices.

Smart City Solutions

enterprise

Target: Municipal technology providers deploying connected infrastructure

If you are a city technology provider facing public resistance to sensor-laden urban infrastructure — this project created participatory design processes that involve citizens in shaping how IoT is deployed in public spaces. Their co-designed IoT concepts, refined across 3 design iterations with real audiences, demonstrate how to gain social license for connected infrastructure. The open hardware approach means cities avoid vendor lock-in from single-platform solutions.

Legal and Compliance Services

any

Target: Privacy consultancies advising IoT companies on GDPR compliance

If you are a compliance consultancy helping clients navigate IoT data regulations — this project produced design concepts specifically focused on policy and legal compliance for connected devices. Their work with 11 partners across 7 countries addressed how awareness and consent work when technology disappears into everyday objects. The research outputs can inform your advisory services on privacy-by-design for IoT product development.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement these open design methods in our product development?

The project did not publish specific licensing fees or implementation costs. Since the outputs are rooted in open hardware and open-source principles, the design methods and prototype documentation (source code, fabrication files, Instructables) are likely available at low or no cost. Implementation costs would depend on your product complexity and the extent of co-design sessions with your user base.

Can these methods scale to industrial product lines?

The project focused on training researchers and producing design concepts and experience prototypes rather than industrial-scale manufacturing processes. The co-designed IoT concepts went through 3 iterative rounds of refinement with real audiences, but deployment-scale validation was not the primary goal. These are design-stage methods best suited for early product development rather than production-line integration.

What is the IP situation — can we use these designs freely?

OpenDoTT was built on open hardware and open innovation principles, which strongly suggests the outputs are openly licensed. The deliverables include source code, digital fabrication files, and documentation formatted as Instructables. Based on available project data, specific licensing terms should be confirmed with the University of Northumbria coordinator.

How does this help with GDPR and IoT compliance?

The project's third work package specifically addressed policy and legal compliance in IoT design. Co-designed IoT Concepts 3 focused on design solutions that handle awareness and consent challenges when technology is embedded in everyday objects. The consortium included legal and policy expertise, making the outputs relevant to companies needing privacy-by-design approaches.

What was actually prototyped and tested?

The project produced experience prototypes capturing key aspects of IoT interactions, technology demonstrators built with platforms like Arduino and Raspberry Pi, and 3 rounds of co-designed IoT concepts validated with public audiences. Documentation includes source code, digital fabrication files, and video walkthroughs. These are design-research prototypes, not production-ready devices.

Can we integrate these methods into our existing R&D process?

The open design methods were developed to work with standard prototyping platforms (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Mozilla Voice) and documented as reproducible Instructables. With 5 industry partners in the consortium, the methods were tested in commercial contexts. Integration would require adopting participatory co-design sessions alongside your existing development cycles.

Consortium

Who built it

The OpenDoTT consortium brings together 11 partners from 7 countries with a notably balanced mix: 5 industry partners (45% industry ratio), 2 universities, 1 research organization, and 3 other entities including 3 SMEs. This is unusual for a training programme — the strong industry presence (including open hardware communities and tech companies) means the research was grounded in real commercial contexts rather than purely academic. The geographic spread across Europe, India, and the US gives the outputs international relevance, though the coordination by University of Northumbria means the primary academic rigor comes from the UK. For a business looking to adopt these methods, the involvement of SME IoT communities is encouraging, as it suggests the approaches were tested at a scale relevant to smaller companies, not just enterprise R&D labs.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHUMBRIA AT NEWCASTLECoordinator · UK
WEVOLVER LTDpartner · UK
VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUMpartner · UK
MZ DENMARK APSparticipant · DK
UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEEparticipant · UK
ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT-INSTITUT FURINTERNET UND GESELLSCHAFT GGMBHpartner · DE

How to reach the team

University of Northumbria at Newcastle, UK — search for OpenDoTT project lead in the School of Design

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITY OF NORTHUMBRIA AT NEWCASTLE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how open IoT design methods from this project could improve your product trust and adoption? SciTransfer can connect you with the research team and help translate their findings into your product roadmap.

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