An important element of everyday product design that is all too often ignored is the footprint of an object. I mean, look at these two electric kettles, which are very common kitchen appliances. They serve the exact same purpose; they use the exact same technology; they have the same water capacity. But there’s a big … Read more
Clearly marking tool and instrument controls is always a good idea, but it becomes vital where safety is at stake. And if there is one control where safety is definitely at stake, it is the safety catch! Like this one, on a rechargeable jig saw from Taiwan: See the switch clearly marked “Safety Lock”? Very … Read more
These days the preference for shoddy, cheap, use-and-discard products is all over the place. Here is an example: This sorry street sign in Jerusalem has taken on a very “artistic” look – because it is made from a blue layer of stick-on plastic sheet over a metal plate. Over time the plastic started to shrink … Read more
Was on a United flight enjoying my coffee (such as it was), when I noticed the text on the paper cup. Nice cup: Makes them feel very ecological, no doubt… someone in Marketing must’ve though it a good point to brag about. Except that it’s completely meaningless, of course. This statement remains true even if … Read more
See the mechanic working on my Renault Clio. Do you know what he’s doing? Looks like he’s trying to squeeze his arm into a tiny space between some metal beams in the engine compartment frame. Why is he doing that? Because he wants to replace a burned out light bulb in the headlamp assembly. Actually … Read more
Back from vacation, having flown a Boeing 737. This lacked the personalized screens seen in longer haul craft but it had a headset jack and a set of volume and channel controls for each passenger. The controls were set in the armrest, in easy reach of the passenger, like this: Cool, huh? Not cool. The … Read more
Was in Germany and saw these in a supermarket. The thing is called Bischofsmütze – which means Bishop’s hat, although there’s something vaguely oriental (Islamic oriental, I mean) about it. This is the weirdest fruit I remember ever running into – it looks like it’s a mashup of two different species, with the poor attention … Read more
Here we have two glove compartments. The one on the left is from the Renault Clio; the other from a Mazda 3. They serve the same simple function and – not surprisingly – look pretty much the same, if you ignore the nice touch in the Mazda’s, that places the latch closer to the driver. … Read more
See the hilarious street sign. Why is it hilarious? Well, if you can read Hebrew you don’t have to ask. For the rest of you, here is the story. Palermo, where this sign hangs, was home to a large and lively Jewish community in the middle ages. Then, in 1492, the Catholic Monarchs (Ferdinand and … Read more
Here is a street sign from Tel Aviv’s Ramat Hachayal area, a vibrant hi-tech hub. The sign hangs on a building at Hanechoshet st., as stated in English. The Hebrew is more detailed: it has the street name at the top, followed by the fine print, which explains the name. Nechoshet in Hebrew means copper, … Read more
