“Great design reflects the broader definition of beauty. Great design is what draws us in.”
– Jony Ive
I love this quote by Jony, the former chief design officer at Apple who helped transform the iPhone into the staple it is today.
Great industrial designs are really great big pieces of art, from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Tesla Roadster to the Sistine Chapel to the Eiffel Tower; they beckon our attention more than other designs do.
The functionality of a product or service also depends directly on great design. Millions of cars pass over the Golden Gate Bridge because of its design.
It can’t just be functional, it must also add to the overall user experience.
This kind of thinking set a company like Apple apart from its competitors in the ’90s. The user experience mattered so much to Steve and the whole team that the iPhone was invented to enrich the entire mobile phone industry.
Products and services must also serve a purpose. Early at Apple, each and every new design was made for a reason, from adding a camera to eliminating a headphone jack.
Although this post focuses on design, it can apply very much so to consumerism and shopping.
Try to ask yourself these questions before making a new purchase while using design as a motive for that purchase:
“Does this thing actually help or hinder me?”
“Is it being used to add or subtract my life?”
“Does it actually do anything more for me than the previous version did?”
It’s better to have a higher quality, carefully designed, product or service than a quicker, cheaper, more accessible one.
This actually goes beyond physical items too:
“Does this relationship, opportunity, or choice appeal to me now?”
“Does it align with my values?”
What are my values (another post on that one later)?”
“Does it serve a purpose in my life?”
This a great way to define what truly matters in your life, because we are what we admire, purchase, and choose over and over.
That behavior that shapes your buying habits is the same behavior that dictates how you talk to your best friend, spouse, or boss (but that’s for another post)!
Three Links:
- Adding Value by The Minimalists (read)
- Design Matters by Adam Grant (listen)
- Designing for the Future We Want to Inhabit (watch)
Thank you for your time and attention in reading this post. It is a rare gift. Feel free to leave a comment or share too. You can also buy me a coffee here if you feel so inclined!