What Transforms Good Design Into Great Design?

"Industrial design." What a drab phrase for such an exciting and meaningful endeavor.

We at OfficeDesigns.com get to live and breathe it every day. We get to see how great industrial design truly impacts the lives and well-being of our customers.

But what is great design?

Although "form following function" is certainly the basis for good design, what does it take to achieve greatness?

Contemporary industrial design puts equal emphasis improved product functionality, durability, sensory appeal, ease and cost of manufacturing and ecological sensitivity. Truly great design is when there's a breakthrough on all fronts simultaneously.

Here are some thoughts about great design and examples that I see every day around the office and the home:

1. A startling new use of a material and/or manufacturing process that catches the eye and boggles the mind.

Example: the bent wood designs of Alvar Aalto and Charles & Ray Eames.

Finnish designer Alvar Aalto's most significant innovation was a process of molding white birch into organic, artistic, curvilinear shapes. In the 1920s and '30s, he and a handful of fellow designers were at the center of a movement against what they viewed as the dehumanizing impact of the Machine Age.

His humane design philosophy was a strong influence on other modern designers, most notably the husband-and-wife team of Charles and Ray Eames. The Eames were pioneers in the molding of plywood, which they developed from their experiments and projects for the U.S. Navy during World War II.

The continued popularity of the Eames and Aalto furnishings is, to me, the greatest testament to their timeless beauty, comfort and durability.

2. A radical departure from the norm that challenges everything we know about a product and changes the industry forever.

Example: the Aeron chair.

Even if you set aside its astonishing aesthetics, this chair was revolutionary. It was the first to come in three sizes, recognizing the diversity of the human form. And it was the first to replace padded upholstery with a breathable pellicle mesh.

On top of that, the Aeron also provided a level of adjustability and lumbar support that completely redefined how ergonomically correct a work chair could be. So it provided that comfy feeling of being enveloped when you first sit down and it allowed you to sit in it for hours on end without aggravating neck and back problems.

The Aeron was the forerunner of all the fantastic ergonomic office chairs we see today. It turned the office furniture world upside down in a single stroke.

3. A product that's the ultimate expression of economy and utilitarian simplicity.

Example: the humble paper clip.

For well over 100 years, this simple piece of bent wire has been an organizational mainstay of the business world. A 1900 trade publication reported: "The wire clip for holding office papers together has entirely superseded the use of the pin in all up-to-date offices." Pins? Ouch.

Although a wide variety of paper clip shapes were advertised and even patented, the classic "Gem" clip most widely used today was first introduced back in 1899. Talk about product longevity!

4. A product that addresses a serious and chronic problem (say, back pain) through complex technologies yet is extremely simple and intuitive to use.

Example: the HTT10 robotic massage recliner.

The Human Touch Technology inside this marvel is the closest thing yet to a session with a licensed massage therapist. Nothing helps drain away stress or relieve nagging back pain like a good massage. And no other robotic recliner I've ever experienced gives as good a massage as this one.

It's not just a full back and neck massage, either. The leg support flips over to reveal a calf and foot massage unit. Aahh.

I've written about this remarkable chair before because I truly believe it's one of the most important innovations since the Aeron. It's what you sit in at home to rejuvenate you for the next day at work.

5. A product that anticipates every aspect of how real people might use it so that they end up more productive without even thinking about it.

Example: the Leap chair.

With 47 patents behind it, the Leap chair has a supportive back that contours to the unique shape of your spine...and then changes shape to maintain that support as you move throughout the day.

Combine that with a sliding seat that lets you recline without pulling your hands off your keyboard, and you get a chair that has proven to increase personal productivity. (Click here for an in-depth view.)

6. Sometimes it's just a new feature of an everyday product that makes wonder why it took so long for that feature to be invented.

Example: an electric clock that adjusts itself for Daylight Saving Time.

Got any great examples of great design?

I'd love to hear from you if you have any examples of products or product features that truly stand out to you as great industrial design. I'd even like to hear about examples of phenomenally bad design.

Send me an email with your thoughts. I'll feature my favorites in next month's newsletter.