Michael McCoy, Eternally Yours, Lecture in The Hague, Netherlands 1997.

It is my intention in this talk to pose more questions than answers to the problem of making things that fit their circumstances better and that are more enduring. There are many factors which determine how long we desire to retain an object, which may not relate to the actual form of the object. A friend gives us something we may keep forever as a memento, we may keep souvenirs of trips or events of significance to us or we may desire luxury objects or objects made of materials that give us pleasure. There is an increase in the phenomena of collectibles or objects as nostalgia for certain periods, perhaps as a counterbalance to our insecure times.

So, what makes an enduring (and endearing form?) Clearly those artifacts that are shaped in response to natural forces like the plow, shaped to move efficiently through the soil without clogging, or the airplane shaped for lift and control in the air, are enduring forms that are both pleasing and deeply understandable.

Especially enduring are those things that belonged to or were given to us by a loved one or friend. They have the special condition of having been touched by or chosen by someone close to you. A sense of their presence is triggered by the object. The objects of this sort that we most cherish often have a special character or quality of craft that sets them apart from less desirable objects given to us by friends.

One strategy for designing products that endure is to keep the form very simple and minimal. This was the strategy of certain branches of modernism and it seems to have some validity. We can look at the work of Mies today and feel that it is very contemporary even though it was designed in the Twenties. Of course, in the case of Mies, and minimalism in general, the success of this strategy lies in exquisite detailing, sublime proportion and rich materials that wear well over time. The problem with minimal form is that it depends on perfection and if it deteriorates it can look worse than other less perfect form languages. So a polished granite cube will endure but a thin skinned plastic cube will not. Minimalism's enduring power is that it is non-specific and allows the viewer to read many things into it. And its meaning can change over time as one lives with and experiences the object.

Another enduring quality is how integral the form is to the way of making and the material. The Eames Chair is certainly not minimal in the Miesian sense, but it is a very durable form, as is the Bertoia wire chair. Both of these chairs are organic and figural in nature, not Euclidean, but they gain their power from the way the form tells us about their making and their purpose. The Eames chair resulted from many years of experimenting with molded plywood, the Bertoia is composed of thin wires welded together in compound forms to from a rigid basket like structure. We can read these forms as statements of the essence of the material and process and that makes them satisfying to us.

I want to particularly focus on the challenge that designers face in designing the new artifacts of the information age, electronic products, because we cannot rely so much on things like the shaping of natural forces or beautiful mechanical geometries to make a product enduring. With electronic products or smart products, which are becoming a growing part of every designer’s work these days, the forces and process are invisible. The designer's task is often to interpret these invisible processes to make them both an understandable and a satisfying experience for the user.

Design for understandable and satisfying operation often means interpreting complex and invisible operations to the user through shape, color, texture and composition as well as text, symbols and imagery. It is important for the designer to do this well, because if a user is confused or can’t use all of the built-in performance of the product, he or she might discard it prematurely, thus contributing to waste and resource consumption. The more satisfying the product is to use and the more it enables the user, the longer it may be retained.

Enabling and empowering; these terms are important because that is what electronic technology can do for users. It can enable them to access, create and communicate with much more power and reach than before. But it can also be confusing and discouraging, and that is what designers need to contend with.

Here are a few strategies that I have found promising in dealing with this challenge of making electronic technology a satisfying and enabling experience.

We have reached a point with technology that it may be necessary to return to traditional crafts and materials to make the experience satisfying. These projects use materials and a high level of craft normally not found in mass produced products to impart a rich haptic, kinesthetic experience.

This PDA by Andi Storiko was inspired by the precise craft and exquisite mechanical motions of the Swiss Army knife. The designer is an avid fisherman and used his experience with well crafted knives to create this multi functional personal computer with a digital camera function. The material is stainless steel which wears extremely well over time. The folding action allows the screen to be easily slipped out for use or in for protection.

Another nomadic object is this tourist guide and camera by Sven Adolph. Of particular interest is the way that leather is used for the control surfaces. Some of the switches are bumps in the leather that will take on a patina of use over time. Getting better with age as the oils from the skin darken the leather.

To make technological objects more enduring, designers can vastly broaden the palette of materials they are using. This example is an electronic work desk by Kelly Deines. It's for a commodity trader so it uses a stratification of materials from rough concrete to stainless steel ball bearings to wood to glass to support electronic communications activities. It is a rich palette of materials that stands alone as fine furniture.

The use of craft and materials is even more important as electronics become smaller and worn on the body. Wireless communications make it possible to wear a powerful computing and communications device enabling you to work or communicate anywhere. Designers can look to the history of bodily ornament for ideas about form, decoration and materials in designing such devices.

This locket is an electronic display of family photos. It references the tradition of jewelry (and the picture locket or cameo) in its form and materials, appropriate for a body worn device.

This headwear computer uses the traditional materials and forms of haircare devices like tortoise shell combs and barrettes to link it to its context:the head. The designer was subsequently commissioned by Hollywood to design the headware for the film "Strange Days" starring Ralph Fiennes.

Fitting the context of use is important if we wish to have people use products longer. If a product does not fit its situation it may be be discarded.

Objects like this computer terminal can be designed to fit the domestic context far better than current products which often have a cold, hard institutional quality to the form and materials. The use of a soft leather upholstered base also makes it more informal to use.

In another context, this CD-ROM repair manual which shows instructive videos to show you how to make repairs is manufactured of robust aluminum castings which make it fit in well with the cast metal tools of the repair environment. Unlike delicate plastic it takes on the character of tools.

We should seek deep archetypes if we wish to make products more enduring. Rather than styling products to the current fashion, we can think about their true meaning in our lives. This electric heater begins with the deepest archetype of man-made heat-the campfire with people huddled around in a circle. The ceramic shells can be re-arranged like a campfire to send the heat in different patterns into the room.

The archetype of the pilgrim seeking his way in the wilderness is a very powerful myth informing this global positioning device. The electronic display is held on a pilgrims wooden staff bound to it by iron straps. The wonder of satellite navigation, that you can know your position anywhere on the planet, is expressed through the pilgrim's mythology.

Too often we design lighting as though it were about the hardware rather than the psychological qualities of light. This illuminated pillow references deep archetypes, about waking up to the sunrise and going to sleep at sunset. The internal light in the pillow gradually turns up or down to wake you or put you to sleep. Of course you can also read with it.

It is important to think about those artifacts and devices which allow us to access and manipulate electronic information. They will become the dominant artifacts in our lives in the next century. As we begin to deal with the fact of the internet and information surrounding and defining our living and working spaces, designers should begin to integrate information devices more organically and naturally into our lives. Here are some projects with demonstrate some strategies for doing this. The goal is to display and control information in a way that is satisfying and compelling as well was empowering and enabling.

This project is called the "information tapestry". It explores the idea of an architecture of information. The flexible panels are comprised of many flat color screens woven together into a quilt, which can be hung between ceiling and floor, creating a surround of images and ideas. It begins to challenge the notion of electronic information in a box and pulls it out into the environment.

The "media blanket" is a hybrid between electronics, clothing and furniture. You wrap yourself up in it like a blanket to listen to music, watch video, surf the internet or just read. It can be wrapped tight around you like a cocoon or opened for viewing with a group of friends. It is responsive to the social situation or the informational need. The circuitry is woven in to the blanket, exploring the affinity of woven textiles and electronic circuits. The advent of conducting flexible polymers and fiber optics makes such smart textiles quite possible in the future.

One way to make electronic products more satisfying is to fit them more casually into ones daily life. This video projector is comprised of a bean bag base (covered with a fabric used in bedding) which supports a compact video projector and allows it to be pointed up to the ceiling or to a wall or any casual angle. Since all the parts that one touches are soft, including the translucent rubber lens guard, it invites very casual and comfortable interaction. For example you could lie in bed and surf the world wide web using a wireless six-D mouse with the projector laying on the floor and pointed up at the ceiling, or just project an image of the heavens.

The trend for highly mobile nomadic work groups in corporations is addressed in this video display which was inspired by seeing the glow of light inside nylon backpacking tents at night. Ripstop nylon tent fabric is held in tension by carbon fiber tent poles. In the wheeled base ( which can be rolled around to different positions) there is a video projector which projects its image up to a mirror and onto the screen. The tents can be grouped around a team workspace to create an information space.

Because the world is becoming dematerialized through electronic information, it is important to bring back the haptic, the sense of touch, to information work. This information pool allows one to literally gather information with hand gestures, manipulate it and then push it off into the net. Hand gestures can embody a great deal of subtlety and complexity, as we know from social situations. It is important to recapture this power of human expression in the information world.

Groups, especially, can work together better in an information environment if they can use their hands to express their ideas. This series of electronic tables allows people to gather and handle information and then share it with the group. A couple of people can move off to the small cafe table to figure something out and then push it electronic back to the main group table for discussion.

Of course, it would be wonderful if electronic information just appeared on your table top, along with your cup of coffee and books and other physical, personal things. This information projector beams the computer display down onto your desk where it co-mingles with your stuff. It further dematerializes the information hardware and fits it in with your daily routine.

One strategy for dealing with the fact that some components of computers (like memory and processors) change very rapidly and some things don't change (like the keyboard) is to treat them differently in terms of materials and design. In this proposal the memory and processors can ordered by express mail and delivered in their cardboard shipping boxes which are also their housings. A tab is ripped open and the cardboard box is jacked into the power supply and bus system. When it is no longer needed, it is shipped back to the manufacturer in the same box ( which includes a return address to the manufacturer). The things that one touches everyday, like the keyboard and mouse, might then be made in haptically satisfying materials like leather and wood.

These are some of the strategies that we have been exploring to make electronic products more understandable, satisfying and thus enduring.

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© 1998 High Ground Design. Reprinted from www.2011_highgrounddesign.com