Good Design

I saw the documentary, "Objectified" last night; LOVED it. It is all about indsutrial design and the design of consumer goods. It explored creativity, function, form and how designers have an added challenge of designing for sustainability. It is no secret that companies design for perceived obsolescence. They can make a product last forever, but they want you to purchase another one, so they market new products as better than your 1yr old version. I am always drawn to new aesthetic designs and sometimes it is a struggle to tell myself: "do you really need that? Is it going to add value to your life?"

In the film, they interviewed the man who created one of the very first laptop. Bill Moggridge said: "I like the concept of wearing in rather than wearing out." I wholeheartedly agree that something is not worth buying if it doesn't add value to your life.

Below is one of my favorite clips:

Principles of Good Design:

1. good design should be innovative,
2. good design should make a product useful,
3. good design is aesthetic design,
4. good design will make a product understandable,
5. good design is honest,
6. good design is unobtrusive,
7. good design is long-lived,
8. good design is consistent in every detail,
9. good design is environmentally friendly, and
10. good design is as little design as possible.