IDFuel, the Industrial Design Weblog - Post details: Reworking The Everyday

Reworking The Everyday

04/20/05

Often, the design world buzzes biggest with the big ticket designs. The Segway was supposed to alter our transportation, and the very layout of our cities. Dyson's Vacuums promised a complete revolution in the way we clean. And it seems like every season, Adidas or Nike come out with an entirely new radical departure in the way footwear is made. But big talk doesn't always mean big walk; Sometimes, the most significant changes are in the most mundane items.
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It's probably safe to say that every designer goes into the business with the intention of shaking things up. We want to "Change the world" or "Make a difference". And that's awesome. There are tons of problems that need worldchanging solutions. It just happens that not all the solutions are barn burners like a sexy new car or supersonic jet.

Take for example the brainchild of Deborah Adler and Klaus Rosburg. They are responsible for Target's brand new (and desperately needed) update to the lowly prescription pillbottle. Believe it or not, with the exception of the frustrating, and largely ineffective childproof caps, the orange plastic pill bottle has been unchanged since world war 2!

The new design includes a whole host of improvements, both for pharmacists and patients. Adler made an attempt (first image above) at a new pill bottle, but long safety testing kept it from going forward. So, Target called in product specialist Klaus Rosburg and his team at Sonic Design. They developed a molded angular bottle which allows for better label placement, so that the label can be read both in drawers, and shelves. The angular shape gives a firmer grip to elderly users. He also included rubber rings which attach to the neck to make ID among the rest of the family's pills a breeze.

As a graphic designer, Adler completely re-worked the information label, positioning information hierarchically from medication name down to usage warnings, for less visual confusion. The addition of a well laid out information label and card give more concise, consistent information than previous models.

Even though this is a simple object, and this solution didn't embody any more advanced technology than the previous models. But the improvements are real, and will effect users lives in a serious and beneficial way.

Another recent, and even simpler design was the 2001 re-working of the thumbtack by a class at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne. By integrating an extra tack and a cord/string loop, the pins can now be used to mount all kinds of things, from posters and papers (more pins mean fewer visually disruptive tacks are needed) to lamps (the slot allows for cord management too). Such a simple object, and again, no new technology or materials, just a re-working of the solution. Sometimes the simplest idea can be so elegant.

Design is about a lot of things. Integrating new technologies. Understanding people and social situations. Creating forms that inspire and excite.

And sometimes, just re-thinking the things we take for granted.

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Reworking The Everyday

04/20/05

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