‘Every object tells a story, if you know how to read it’. Henry Ford
‘Good design is as little design as possible’. Dieter Rams
‘If you are a person who recognises good design it distinguishes you from all of the naive and corny bourgeois of the past, the past being everything up to that minute’. Rob Walker
‘Design needs to be plugged into natural human behaviour’. Naoto Fukasawa
‘Objectified’ gave a lot of insight into how products and society share a complex relationship and the role of designers in this relationship. Henry Ford’s quote describes how products can hold a special significance to certain people through the stories and memories that they hold. As designers, a good way to achieve a product that can stand the test of time is to design a product that allows for a personal connection, allows for stories to be told and memories to be shared about it. Dieter Rams talks of how good design is simple and ‘honest’, ‘easy to understand’. Function and form working together to allow a smooth and long relationship with the user.
For the user, relationships with products are a way that society can learn about one another and learn about ourselves. Certain products say different things about the people that we are. Rob Walker mentions that by owning a ‘well designed’ product, we feel that we are separated from the norm, the people of the past. It’s a way of asserting our position in society as an informed and up to date person. But I believe that this is merely a superficial view of the relationship that we have with our products. I believe that there are products out there that really become a part of us and our lives for more than the boasting of new technologies and innovations. They have timeless memories and moments instilled in them, products that are connected emotionally to the user. A good way to achieve this is by following what Naoto Fukasawa said in the movie and design a product that connects with human emotions and behaviours, allowing for an ‘honest’ relationship with the product, not a superficial one.
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