design thinks of us yet we don't think...

I often occurs to me that for the most part people don't really think about design. This usually occurs to me daily as I marvel at the built environment that is New York City. This revelation would hold true for most large cities and some even more so than NYC, but the stunning realization that EVERYTHING around you in the city is man-made (or woman-made).

I mean think about it. Everything around you, everything that you walk on, walk by and gaze upon with the possible exception of the sky a few large bodies of water has been designed by human hands. In NYC even the trees are designed. Not to say that anyone can make a tree, but every tree in NYC is there because it was either planted or consciously allowed to live and meticulously pruned at least once a year. Much of the land by the rivers of Manhattan have been artificially increase adding earth and sand to the shoreline.

The reason I'm sharing this daily epiphany is that people really don't think about design enough. I don't just mean the client that says to make it 'cool' or 'hip', but the designer that made any of the hundred of car models that are just plain uncomfortable to sit in. The rat fink bastards responsible for the thousands of mobile phones that are all different in how they do the same damn things. WHY should I have to relearn a new phone that does the same thing as the other phone. Digital cameras, alarm clocks, universal remote controls and web sites.

When something is well designed we truly have the luxury of NOT thinking about it. We can just make a phone call, set our morning alarm, take a photograph or turn on your turn on your telly.

modern design geek signing off...