Why We Design Beautiful Products
At Godspeed Design our guiding design principles are:
Functionality - the products we design need to work
Manufacturability - our work has to be designed to be made in large quantities
Beauty - what?
At first glance, this might not make sense as a core tenant of our design philosophy, but I’d like to explain.
The YouTube channel Kurzgesagt explains the value of beauty well in their video Why Beautiful Things Make us Happy:
The video proposes that beauty in our surroundings can have a lasting impact on mental health and productivity. Beautiful objects, spaces, and designs make people feel more content, inspired, and motivated. This concept applies not only to grand works of art but also to small, aesthetically pleasing everyday items or environments, which can make mundane experiences more enjoyable. Beauty is a subtle but powerful force that enhances our lives and contributes to our happiness.
Adding beauty to the world through good product design isn’t just a nice side effect of what we do, it's a core goal. What’s the point of making a slightly better widget if it has the aesthetic of a Ford Taurus? We want the end user of our products to make a positive emotional connection with what we build. It’s our opportunity to improve the world with our work.