This morning at the gym (yes, I went to the gym), I read the NYT piece on green design for milk cartons. As a huge fan of design and especially green design, I was impressed to see green design being applied to most quotidian of objects. Sadly, what was glaringly missing from this project was someone who understands really understands design. As Charles Eames famously said, "Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as best to accomplish a particular purpose."
In the case of the milk carton project, the objective of the design was to serve two purposes: increasing "greenness" without comprimising the already established ease and utility of the current carton. Presumably, a failure to understand both was why the project when awry. The designers did a fantastic job re-thinking the packaging, but neglected to preserve the functionality of the object. I mean, what good is a carton of milk if you can't pour it without spilling? Consumers can can certainly learn new behaviors and adapt to changes in products but winning over a consumer with a product that doesn't work? Almost impossible.
Good design happens when the objective of the project is clearly defined, before designing anything. As Michelango once said, "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."
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