Why do we make a hand-crank motion when asking someone to roll down their window? After all, in most new cars, that’s done with the press of a button. An outmoded gesture like this is similar to a skeuomorph, a design element that still used even...
Skeuomorphs are aesthetic elements of design that no longer correlate with their original function. Computer software is full of skeuomorphs. For example, the save button that we’re all used to is a picture of a floppy disk. But then, who uses...
lagom n.— «Lagom: From the Swedish, most commonly translated as “just enough,” it’s an approach to both design and consumption that explains the essence of brands like Ikea and Volvo. We see notions of minimalism and sustainability taking on...
witness mark n.— «The laminations can be designed to accommodate flipping, or alternation as noted above, to average out asymmetries. The design should incorporate a “witness mark” so that the pattern of alternation is evident.» —by Alexander Wu...
dining sleeve n.— «I also like the idea of not using paper napkins, which happen to be made from virgin wood and represent the height of wastefulness. I have designed a clothing line that has what’s called a “dining sleeve.” The sleeve is...