Clothespin design

There are several reasons why a clothespin represents a well-designed object. According to "Dieter Rams Ten Principles for Good Design" this object meets several of these principles. A clothespin makes a product useful, is understandable, unobtrusive, long-lasting as well as using as little design as possible. It is functional, emphasizes its usefulness, and yet maintains a neutral and restrained quality. This object is long-lasting, because despite the invention of dryers, it is still being used and its simple design has yet to change. According to a comment by the senior designer of Apple, good design feels inevitable, like why would it not be like this.

Dieter Rams: 10 Principles of Good Design

Dieter Rams, a famous German Industrial designer, is widely known for his 10 principles of good design. Even before the Internet and web design, these principles are still very relevant and influential today.

1. Good design is innovative
2. Good design makes a product useful
3. Good design is aesthetic
4. Good design makes a product understandable
5. Good design is unobtrusive
6. Good design is honest
7. Good design is long-lasting
8. Good design is thorough, down to the last detail
9. Good design is environmentally-friendly
10. Good design is as little design as possible

Objectified

According to one designer, the goal of industrial design is to standardize consumer objects. For example, the post-it note is a well-designed object that most people do not even realize is designed.

Another goal is to put design into everyday objects to improve them without the consumer realizing or thinking about it. As one designer put it, “designers sometimes understand what people need better than themselves.”

This video was very enlightening as it delved further into the design process and gave me more insight into the industrial design profession.