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Bob Westal - ArticlesSeason of WasteWhen it comes to the issue of sustainable packaging. What was once mostly an ethical question for designers and manufacturers has become a financial one as the public becomes increasingly concerned with green issues like global warming. This became a fiscally urgent matter for many companies. The Kite ShipperWe recently across an example of a literally ancient device updated to the modern age: the idea of a kite-driven ship, which we learned of via Jack Moffett. Of course, this idea has the beauty of being a very easy sell because of its familiarity, simplicity, and the fact that it actually seems to work. Nostalgia and the Wisdom of the Late AdapterTo some, there might be something truly nonsensical about taking considerable trouble and expense to turn an advanced product into a facsimile of a less advanced one -- but then ask any writer, particular one who worked in a newsroom (or, in writer-guy's case, a high school journalism class) and who learned to write on a manual typewriter. When is a Wrench Like a Martini?Last week, we were looking at the 2007 IDEA Award winners and we stumbled over this product. The "Revolutionized Wrench" (also known as the X-Beam wrench. This "wrench with a twist" in no way alters the function of basic use of a wrench. Instead, it makes some very simple changes to civilize the classic, straight wrench. Seamlessness and Delaying Childhood's EndWe humans have an uneasy relationship with perfection. We strive for it -- but we're not always sure we want it. If something is close to perfect, it seems suspiciously smooth or, as commentators invariably say when an athlete or performer is at doing the best possible work, "he/she makes it look easy." Recession and the Mother of InventionA period of financial contraction means that designers are going to have start thinking a bit differently. Less expensive materials, more efficient use of those materials, and finding ways to build products using less labor. If we're really clever, maybe we can also find ways to marry reduced cost with more ecologically sustainable processes. Form Vs. Function, ForeverAs an engineering and industrial design firm operating in the real world, the "form follows function" debate is a needle that we have to thread on a daily basis. It's important to design products that are aesthetically pleasing; consumers will always prefer a pretty product to an ugly one. It's essential to design something that actually works and doesn't create grief. Ignorance and InnovationWe've heard it a million times. A great innovator is questioned about some early achievement, "We were too young and foolish to know that what we were doing wasn't how things were done," the innovator replies with a bit of a chuckle. Creative revolutionaries usually move on to even more significant accomplishments, even as they become more sophisticated about their field's technology.
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