Darren Saravis is President of Nectar, an award winning product development consultancy helping clients create products that connect to their users and expand their markets.
Season of Waste
When it comes to the issue of sustainable packaging. What was once mostly an ethical question for designers and manufacturers has become a financial one as the public becomes increasingly concerned with green issues like global warming. This became a fiscally urgent matter for many companies. Believe it or not, the official holiday season is only a matter of weeks away. But, with all the discussio
The Kite Shipper
We recently across an example of a literally ancient device updated to the modern age: the idea of a kite-driven ship, which we learned of via Jack Moffett. Of course, this idea has the beauty of being a very easy sell because of its familiarity, simplicity, and the fact that it actually seems to work. In another article, we talked about designers going to great lengths to make high-tech products
Nostalgia and the Wisdom of the Late Adapter
To some, there might be something truly nonsensical about taking considerable trouble and expense to turn an advanced product into a facsimile of a less advanced one -- but then ask any writer, particular one who worked in a newsroom (or, in writer-guy's case, a high school journalism class) and who learned to write on a manual typewriter.
When is a Wrench Like a Martini?
Last week, we were looking at the 2007 IDEA Award winners and we stumbled over this product. The "Revolutionized Wrench" (also known as the X-Beam wrench. This "wrench with a twist" in no way alters the function of basic use of a wrench. Instead, it makes some very simple changes to civilize the classic, straight wrench. Not so long ago, we were looking at the 2007 IDEA Award winners and we stumbl
Seamlessness and Delaying Childhood's End
We humans have an uneasy relationship with perfection. We strive for it -- but we're not always sure we want it. If something is close to perfect, it seems suspiciously smooth or, as commentators invariably say when an athlete or performer is at doing the best possible work, "he/she makes it look easy." Of course, nothing is harder than making something look easy -- but a lot of us still don't qui
Recession and the Mother of Invention
A period of financial contraction means that designers are going to have start thinking a bit differently. Less expensive materials, more efficient use of those materials, and finding ways to build products using less labor. If we're really clever, maybe we can also find ways to marry reduced cost with more ecologically sustainable processes. We probably don't need to tell you this -- in fact, you
Form v. Function, Forever
As an engineering and industrial design firm operating in the real world, the "form follows function" debate is a needle that we have to thread on a daily basis. It's important to design products that are aesthetically pleasing; consumers will always prefer a pretty product to an ugly one. It's essential to design something that actually works and doesn't create grief.
Ignorance and Innovation
We've heard it a million times. A great innovator is questioned about some early achievement, "We were too young and foolish to know that what we were doing wasn't how things were done," the innovator replies with a bit of a chuckle. Creative revolutionaries usually move on to even more significant accomplishments, even as they become more sophisticated about their field's technology.
