I stumbled across an old video on Youtube which reminded me how simple everyday objects can have tremendous design that we rarely think about. Something as simple as say the Aluminum can has undergone countless design iterations over the years before settling on the cylindrical cans that are so ubiquitous today.
Besides the aluminum can, I found the design of doors to be extremely fascinating. This video on Vox does a great job discussing it. This one is particularly interesting because ‘badly designed’ doors are still everywhere in modern society!
What’s also remarkable is that so many things are designed the way they are for very specific reasons that may not be obvious at first glance. Benches in particular are a neat study of this because public benches are often designed to be uncomfortable, as the designers didn’t want people sitting around all day or trying to sleep on them! This is called anti-design:
Lastly I need to make one more shoutout to my favorite new shoe company Zeba which is revolutionizing sneakers. It’s been over 2 years since I bought my first pair of Zeba Hands Free Shoes and I’m still wearing them! I’ve also recommended them to a few friends over the years who also shared their thoughts about them right here on WordPress. My friends Pat Thompson and Janice Parker both love them!
The Intersection of Innovation & Design 