When was the last time you thought about the product you were buying before you swiped your credit card? Did you think about where the product was made? What it was made of? If it is designed to last? If it is designed with the end-user in mind? Not many people think about these things and it is likely because they weren’t about the concept of good design.
As a society, we are drifting away from buying quality products that embody the principles of good design to more of what is the cheapest or trendiest option.
Trends are not only detrimental to the Earth, but they are also hard on your wallet, and they can make you feel like you are on this never-ending hamster wheel, trying to catch up and stay on top of what society deems is “in” at that moment.
It is so much easier to step back and find products that you appreciate and that make you happy.
I believe that a large part of our happiness comes from what we surround ourselves with, so I think it is crucial to pay attention to the products we use, the spaces we inhabit, and the people we surround ourselves with. Once you pay attention to what makes you happy and make a conscious effort to surround yourself with those things, you will be amazed at how much of a difference it can make in your life.
In addition to its importance for our mental health, good design is also incredibly important for the health of our planet. Products made with good design are more likely to last, users are investing in the quality of the product, and the products are more likely to be made with ethically sourced and environmentally friendly materials.
While a design can still be “good” without being the most incredibly sustainable thing for the environment, a product can truly go above and beyond if all environmental impacts are considered and reduced as much as possible.
Good design and quality products add value to our lives, create a connection with the product, encourage its longevity, think about all users as much as possible, and set people apart from the trends of society.
Value:
The value that is added to our lives from good design is being able to surround yourself with beautiful things, knowing they are meant to last, and having a sense of pride in yourself for finding the item and knowing that you are supporting something that had a lot of time and effort go into it.
There is also a sense of pride when using the product that you don’t get from cheaply made and poorly designed things. A lot of people may not notice the little things they put up with daily, but when you find something that has been designed with care, you can very quickly tell that you are using something amazing and there is no going back.
So in a way, approach with caution. Because it is incredibly hard not to analyze products and spaces once you realize that there is such a thing as good design. It can feel weird at first to say that something is an example of bad design but this quote from Adam Judge says it perfectly:
“The alternative to good design is always bad design. There is no such thing as no design.”
–Adam Judge
So when you’re looking at something and questioning if it is a good design, think about the qualities of good design (which you can learn about in my article called “What is Good Design?” found here) to analyze the product. If it doesn’t meet the majority of the requirements, then it is a bad design and you can use your knowledge to look for a better option.
Connection:
When we buy a product where we can appreciate all the little design elements that went into making it, we begin to establish a connection with the product. This connection is something that will encourage us to keep it around longer and decrease the likelihood that it will end up in a landfill.
Longevity:
Products made with good design are built to last. By using quality materials and conscientious design, the effort that went into its creation is evident and significantly increases the chances that the product will remain functional for many more years than its cheaper and poorly designed counterpart.
Thinking about the users:
Good design thinks about the end-users and tailors as many elements as possible to its seamless integration into the user’s daily life. The best designs are ones that were designed to solve a problem the users were facing (or didn’t know they had) instead of products that were designed with the hope that users would eventually find and latch onto them.
Set users apart:
Good design sets users apart not in how flashy or showy it is, but rather through the simplicity of its creation and the statement of being designed with intention.
Many times people will look at a design and explain how they “don’t know why, but they just like it.” This is because they are looking at a product that embodies good design and is pleasing to the eye because of the different principles and theories of design (such as the Elements and Principles of Design).
A final message I will impart to you is that we “vote” with our money every day with the things we spend it on. Society may be engulfed in consumerism and concerning itself with the next big trend, but hopefully, you can see why that needs to change. You can be a part of this change. With enough people buying quality products that are good designs, we can show big corporations that we want better products and we demand they help to shift society’s focus to longevity versus trendiness.
We all have so much individual power when it comes to the future we want to create.
Whether it’s through supporting businesses that are making much smaller impacts on the Earth, removing yourself from the world of fast fashion and extreme consumerism, or simply buying less and when you do, buying quality and sustainable products, you can help move us in the right direction.
Not to mention, the more people that can help, the bigger the impact, so it is incredibly important to encourage people to do what they can, no matter how small, because it is those small efforts across millions of people that make way more of an impact than a handful of people doing everything they can.
Society’s trendiness and consumerism mindset will not be able to change overnight, but through collective small daily changes (such as buying quality products that will last and buying less overall), we can all shift the narrative to a brighter future and a future we want to be apart of.
Overall, good design is a concept that once you tune into, you will never look at the world the same way again. You will begin to notice all the little nuances of the world around you and be able to better appreciate the beauty in the little things. I absolutely love good design (as you can tell by the title of my website), so I hope that I can help you all to learn more about it, understand how to spot good design within your life, and surround yourself with quality products that add to your overall wellbeing.
Want to Know More About Good Design?
Check out my introductory article to the Elements and Principles of Design HERE
Check out my article that talks about the specific characteristics of Good Design HERE
