The first decade of the 21st century has been frequently accused of lacking coherence. Ironically, coherence emerged as one of the prevailing themes of some of the decade’s most important design work. Target’s Clear Rx bottles—hailed by IDSA’s esteemed jury as the standout Design of the Decade—exists very explicitly to deliver a clearer, more intelligible and more logical healthcare experience.
The Venus razor improves the experience of one of life’s never ending chores: shaving. Its design makes the whole process of shaving better, faster, safer and simpler—for her, rather than him. Unlike men, women shave while standing in a wet, slippery shower environment. They often balance on one leg and must bend and twist to see and reach where they want to shave. And a modern razor blade is the sharpest object that the average person typically encounters—and they drag it over their skin.
As today’s highly mobile knowledge workers spend more time than ever in a seated posture using electronic devices like PCs, laptops and smart phones, the need to mitigate the effects of sitting increases. Physiologically the human body is not made for sitting; back pain is among the top-five ailments effecting modern workers.
Nike Considered Footwear is a sustainable line of shoes that has also served as a template for ecologically sensitive design principles. In 2006, Nike adopted the Considered product ethos—create products that are made with less toxins, less waste, more environmentally friendly materials and sustainable product innovation—and later created a sustainability index to measure the level of ecologically sensitive design and manufacturing in all new products.
The Kindle wireless portable reading device is the first physical manifestation of the Amazon.com brand. It is a continuous narrative that originates from the Amazon.com bookstore and evolves into a seamless reading experience. From the design brief to fulfillment centers, the only point of contact Amazon doesn’t control in the Kindle experience is the friendly UPS driver.
The Jawbone line of Bluetooth headsets solves a ubiquitous problem: the ability to talk on a mobile phone in a loud environment while hearing—and being heard—clearly. Jawbone uses Noise Assassin technology that virtually eliminates background noise, making calls clearer. It continuously adapts to the user’s changing environment while also separating the speaker’s voice from other ambient noise, optimizing both incoming and outgoing sound. An ergonomic and clean design simplifies and enhances the complete experience.
The 2010 Design of the Decade stories feature a combination of brave thinking and progressive action. Winners such as Target’s ClearRx, Nike Considered Footwear and Tata Swach® reflect the smarter contributions design is making to business and society.
