A blog created as part of my 4th year product design engineering course at Glasgow School of Art.

Design is everywhere; the planet is filled with products, and thousands more are invented each day. But how much is really necessary?

We are surrounded by bad design. Whether it's confusing doors that take several attempts to open, software that doesn't work, or packaging that you have to fight to open. Sometimes it feels like designers are filling the world with junk.

Poor design slows us down and makes us sad. I'd like to believe that we have a responsibility to stop creating unnecessary products that ultimately contribute to our environmental problems. But nothing's that straight forward. Design is subjective. A product that one person views as worthwhile can seem completely futile to another. Is design about solving important problems or simply making everyday living easier? Do products need to have a distinct function or just create a positive experience?

​In these blog posts I aim to analyse a variety of designs and ideologies in order to explore what I think makes something really great.

As the end of the university year approaches it seems fitting to look back over all I have written and reflect on what I have learned about great design.

Final Thoughts

Turning to notes written by my 16-year-old self for inspiration, I look at how my views on design have changed. And it seems the cliché is true; the simplest designs are often the best.

The story of the only remaining British owned sports footwear company. Designed and manufactured in Bolton, the 50 year old Walsh PB design continues to be chosen by fell runners across the country. But can such specialist design really be considered great?

With its bentwood frame, cantilevered seat, and curved backrest, the Poäng chair is one of Ikea’s most recognisable pieces. But what made the Scandinavian design emporium’s chair an instant classic 40 years ago?

Simplicity

Great British Design

Design For Everyone

This unlikely Japanese design has graced the wrists of a variety of characters from Osama bin Laden to Barack Obama since 1991. Here I explore a humble masterpiece of industrial design: the Casio F-91W watch.

Taking inspiration from Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Thinking big to create greatness.

One of the most successful products to come out of Italy following the Second World War, the Moka Espresso maker became a piece of iconic design worldwide. But in the era of pods and AeroPress's, is it becoming an endangered species?

Timeless Design 

Thinking Big

An Italian Design Classic

Challenging disposable technology. An ethical, sustainable smartphone.

The folding phone wars are here. Samsung and Huawei recently unveiled their contributions to electronic origami. It seems 2019 will be the year of folding technology – but is any of it great design? How long until the masses have ditched their smartphone for a folding version?

A British design classic. Margret Calvert's type faces and graphics fulfilled their function so efficiently that the public take them for granted. Her road sign designs are timeless, but their significance entirely ignored.

Fairphone

The Folding Future

​Great Design Is Ignored

Last year, the Design Museum found that women make up just 22 per cent of the design workforce. Can a male-dominated field be expected to create design that works for women? Is great design for men the same as great design for women?

Rem Koolhaas has built a reputation as one of the top architects of the 21st century. His philosophy may be considered more important than his outcome. Could his unbuilt works still be considered great? Can something be deemed great design if it is never built and experienced?

More than 3.5 million UK residents are now vegan. It’s a growing market – and not just in terms of food. This post explores vegan products. It’s a trend that calls for cruelty-free, ethical and sustainable manufacturing processes; could this be a driver of great design?

A World Designed For Men

Great Design Thinking

The Rise of Veganism

Vivienne Westwood is one of the most influential and outspoken designers of all time. But her message spans more than just great design.

The Trafford Centre is an iconic retail and leisure destination. The striking extrovert architecture hosts a dome larger than St Pauls, columns adorned with gold leaf, real palm trees and the world’s largest chandelier - surely it is one of the great architectural statements of the 20th century?

Travelling back to Manchester this weekend I was reminded of an example of bad design that seems to be everywhere, and bothers me a lot. The Dyson Airblade is fundamentally flawed.

​Punk, Icon, Activist

​The Peoples Palace​

Bad design - but it's a Dyson?!

Martin Creed. A Turner prize winning minimalist that leaves many wondering what the point of it is. ​But does great design really need to have a point?

It may not be a product, but if great design is accessible, easy to understand and makes people feel good then Parkrun ticks all the boxes.

Today Thomas Heatherwick’s Coal Drops Yard retail hub was fully opened to the public. A fascinating renovation that celebrates Victorian architecture and modern engineering.

What's The Point?

Design Without A Product

​Past & Present

Another post from my visit to the London Design Festival. I came across Wheels4U by Yaohan Gu at the Creative Unions graduates exhibition, Central Saint Martins.

Highlights and thoughts on Tom Dixons Exhibition at the London Design Festival.

Beazley Designs of the Year 2018 asks viewers to vote for their favourite project in the exhibition. But how do you begin to compare a ski jacket made of spider silk proteins with an operating theatre that fits into a backpack?

The Right Approach

Electroanalogue

Designs of the Year 2018