Whether you’re designing something new or making a purchase, asking if it’s plain, simple and useful are easy enough questions to consider.
Sir Terence Conran, a pillar of British design once summed up his philosophy with ‘plain, simple and useful’
“Such things may not win many design prizes, but neither do they go out of fashion”
Terence Conran
In this day and age, we are constantly marketed to. There is an endless cycle of the latest and greatest, sales that create scarcity, products that are designed to obsolete in no time and not to mention products designed to be disposable. You know, trash in transition, products that are designed to be garbage right from the start.
Luckily, many people don’t want that ‘stuff’ anymore, they want their purchases to make sense, both for their bank account and for the planet. I certainly want quality products and do my best to chose quality over quantity. I try to apply this no matter what I am looking for, it could be housewares, food, packaging, fashion, the list goes on.
Be on the lookout for gimmicks, gizmos and gadgets. I often wonder why the designer added these, what are they hiding?
In our busy and complicated world, I think simplicity really matters.
Consider that good design should add value, it should consider function and form, and be timeless.
Plain, simple and useful is environmentally friendly
More and more people are coming to the realization that mass-produced disposable junk is having a huge impact on our planet. This awareness has made me more sustainable. I question things like whether it’s quality, will it last a lifetime, is it simple, is it useful, can I reuse it, is it repairable? Do I really need it, and will I still want it next year? Really it comes down to, “does it make me feel good”?
In the end
Simply put, buy less, but better. I try to choose intention before impulse. It certainly isn’t about hardcore or cold minimalism, it’s more about getting back to basics. You know, good quality products that are plain, simple and useful.
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Thanks for reading,
Pat
Pat is a Ski Patroller/Avalanche Technician with a keen interest in design and sustainable living due to a longtime passion for the outdoors. Seeing glaciers melt, seasons change, summer skies full of smoke and beach pollution first hand, motivate him to make a difference.
As Yvon Chouinard Founder of Patagonia says “If you are not part of the solution, you are still part of the problem”.