Why Some Designs Are Impossible to Improve: Quintessence

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Күн бұрын

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Some designs don’t change much. The paperclip, the Bic pen, the QWERTY keyboard layout, and even the PlayStation controller. Decades and sometimes even centuries pass, but these designs barely change at all. They’re quintessential. Why do some designs last for decades, while other seemingly better alternatives never catch on?
Time stamps:
0:00 Intro to Quintessential Design
2:49 Paperclips & Manufacturing Process
3:46 Maglite: Intellectual Property, Patents, & Legal Strategies
4:55 Opera
5:56 Maglite part 2
8:19 Setting the Standard: Playstation Controllers & QWERTY Keyboard
12:20 Designs that Change Culture: Model T
21:49 Indispensable Addictions
30:28 The Fifth Element
Works Cited: text.is/0K1Z

Пікірлер: 1 700

@Design.Theory 12 күн бұрын

Your browser is holding you back. Level up with Opera here: opr.as/Opera-browser-designtheory

@devgirl9558 12 күн бұрын

😍😍😍

@noway5096 12 күн бұрын

Shut the up

@rawallon 11 күн бұрын

@@numberonedad who

@1MadJack1 10 күн бұрын

this browser ain’t quintessential at all 💀

@AsyncMusic 10 күн бұрын

isnt opera like a literal data harvesting scam

@IanZainea1990 8 күн бұрын

Touch screen on a smartphone makes sense. Because you look right at it 95% of the time when using it. Touch screens in a car, do not make sense. Because you're not supposed to be looking at it.

@johnwyles 7 күн бұрын

Agree. I don’t understand why they are still so prevalent. I owned a 2010 Lexus RX with, for lack of a better description. a mouse, that would lock the cursor with a bit of friction but not totally on menu items or buttons etc. It was the best I’ve seen but yet it’s not found in later models and I have no idea why. My eyes stayed more on the road, it was more intuitive to use, and it was the perfect marriage of using a computer in your car with simplicity and quick glances to only relevant sections. You could make the mouse larger as well but default it was large and borders around the thing you would be clicking on. Google 2010 Lexus RX Remote Touch for pictures and check out KZfaq for how it worked.

@user-ok6uo6cz1c 7 күн бұрын

i think it makes sense because its very convenient. it even warns you not to look at it while driving. as long as it doesnt entirely replace physical controls, i dont think its that bad. edit: notice how i said "i think" before two of my sentences? thats because its my take and my personal opinion. you guys should also realize that i said "if it doesnt entirely replace physical controls." in my opinion, its convenient in some situations because you dont have to pull out your phone to do some things. audio controls and AC controls should instantly available anyway, if not a physical control. i also think that you should notice that about 50 people have replied to me the exact same thing.

@spamcan9208 7 күн бұрын

@@user-ok6uo6cz1cI can't tell if you're being sarcastic but regardless the best design I've used so far is Mazda's knob thingy that is conveniently placed near the shift knob (especially helpful for those of us who still drive stick) with a nice tactile feedback. Usually all I need is a quick glance with my eyes. I do wish the quick launch buttons in front of the knob/joystick had Braille style bumps to you let you feel where they are. I LOVE that the volume knob is also down there and one push down will instantly mute the stereo.

@Solitaire001 7 күн бұрын

The one problem I've found with a touch screen (not just with a smartphone but any touchscreen) is that since the touchscreen touches your face/fingers you end up with the oil from your skin left on the screen. Although this may be an issue with other devices that you touch, it seems to be especially noticeable on touchscreens. Another problem with a touchscreen is that you can't fully protect it. As an example, I had a Sony Walkman NWZ-A818 Walkman that had physical buttons. Due to that, I put a clear plastic case that covered the entire player including the buttons (it had rubber covers over the buttons so that you could use the player without having to remove the case). I could drop the player without having to worry about damaging the screen. It might damage the case, but the player itself would be untouched. Compare that to my current player, the Sony Walkman NW-A55, which has a touchscreen. Although I've put it in a protective case, I still have to open the cover to access most of the player's functions, although it does have physical buttons for the basic functions (volume, next track, play/stop, previous track, and hold) that I can access without opening the cover.

@user-ok6uo6cz1c 7 күн бұрын

@@Solitaire001 screen protectors:

@MrRandominternetname 12 күн бұрын

My parents received a Sunbeam toaster as a wedding gift in 1961. It died in 2015. We were all heartbroken. The new toaster takes too long and don't toast as well.

@dan_youtube 10 күн бұрын

Fix the old one

@Radishals 10 күн бұрын

I think eBay or Mercari have those!

@Broockle 8 күн бұрын

Wonder if u'd fancy a Mitsubish Electric Bread Oven.

@sonidojamon 8 күн бұрын

Same story for me with my Braun "Citromatic". Bought by my mum in 1974 (before I was born) and still alive and kicking every morning 50 years later!

@nordicest 8 күн бұрын

kitchenAid toaster seems similar and works fine :P

@sweetswing 8 күн бұрын

Microsoft had made the perfect paper clip, and they just killed it.

@goliard20 21 сағат бұрын

Should have become their voice assistant instead of cortana

@unknown0soldier 9 сағат бұрын

Lest we forget how they brutally murdered the poor clippy

@paulcrumley9756 5 сағат бұрын

I was so saddened when Clippie got straightened out.. .

@slugfiller 6 күн бұрын

The QWERTY layout key-jamming story is actually an urban legend created by Dvorak manufacturers to convince people that Dvorak should be objectively better. In reality, QWERTY is the result of incremental design improvements, which started with an alphabetical layout, and gradually moved various keys to locations that made more sense, like moving rarely used keys like Q, Z, and X to the corners. You can actually notice much of the alphabetical order remains, as, with the notable exception of B, the letters A through P are all very close, if not adjacent, to the letters that follow or precede them.

@lwinklly 6 күн бұрын

Sholes, the creator of the Querty layout, proposed a better alternative with Dvorak-like improvements shortly after the first extremely popular typewriter, the Remington No. 2, entered production. Even by then it was already too late, and Remington refused the offer as they also offered typing courses, and typing teachers had already become familiar enough with the Querty layout.

@finalformluigi 4 күн бұрын

QWERTY layout is still bad regardless. Just thinking simply, there are a lot of poor choices in the layout. Most if not all vowels should be placed on the homerow. They're easily the most used letters yet only 'A' finds it's way to the homerow on QWERTY. Also, why is 'J' on the homerow? How about ':'/';'? How often are you using colon/semicolon?? I am a software engineer and I still don't like that it's there.

@cavemann_ 4 күн бұрын

Keyboard layout designs break depending on the language.

@HappyBeezerStudios 4 күн бұрын

@@finalformluigi That's why I would probably go with Neo2 if I'd decide to change my layout. But I'm not on that level of typing speed that I need to optimise yet.

@HappyBeezerStudios 4 күн бұрын

@@cavemann_ which is why pretty much every language has developed their own "optimised" layouts. And even the "default" layout isn't exactly the same everywhere. Sure there is QWERTY, but are we talking US ANSI QWERTY, UK ISO QWERTY, DE QWERTZ, FR AZERTY, JIS 109 key QWERTY?

@ingvarhallstrom2306 12 күн бұрын

The reason for Mag-Lites success was that it was a weapon in disguise. While nightsticks could be banned in some areas for being a weapon, a flashlight would not. As noted, even when police where forbidden to use nightsticks they loved carrying a big ass Mag-Lite.

@ericfieldman 12 күн бұрын

Very stupidly and coincidentally I was just watching a let's play of a cop game where one guy said his uncle was a cop who'd beat people up with flashlights, and I just thought it was part of the gaslighting and BS that comes with that territory

@ZeeengMicro 12 күн бұрын

Yeah, getting slapped with a long aluminium rod filled with 3 to 5 D-cell batteries wouldn't be very fun

@shhinysilver1720 12 күн бұрын

i've used some of those flashlights, and yea, they are basically clubs with a light - up function.

@meepmorprobotcaptain 12 күн бұрын

As someone who briefly carried one as a paramedic: can 100% confirm OP's statement. My dad likes Mag-Lites for this reason, as did every auxiliary cop I ever met.

@davidconner-shover51 11 күн бұрын

I used to have a 6 cell maglight baseball bat comes to mind

@kyle7023 12 күн бұрын

Don't forget the classic wooden Pencil with eraser, and the Boston Pencil Sharpener. The helical blade sharpener is the quintessential mechanical sharpener design thats been used in every wall sharpener in schools and offices for the past 100 years.

@DreamGaming12 11 күн бұрын

But more people have moved to those blade sharpeners

@SteelsCrow 8 күн бұрын

Through elementary school in the 90s, I always felt like they jammed or took too much force to use. Almost everyone preferred ones run by an electric motor. I just expected sharpening a pencil to be simple and easy. Little did my little brain imagine sharpening a pencil with a KNIFE. One way or another, in middle and high school I was completely on board with 0.7mm mechanical pencils. I favored the cheapest ones because they're thinner, no rubber grips. I could keep each one lasting through most of a school year. By the way, does someone know if the blades inside electric motored sharpeners are the same?

@sv650rider 8 күн бұрын

most people push the pencil WAY TOO HARD and the cutting faces end up taking too much material thus creating a poorly sharpened pencil

@theodorgiosan2570 7 күн бұрын

@@SteelsCrowYes the blades in electric sharpeners are identical.

@Solitaire001 7 күн бұрын

@@sv650rider There are a number of manual pencil sharpeners that do a better job than the classic manual pencil sharpener used in schools. Some are designed to indicate when your pencils is perfectly sharpened and allow you choose the kind of point you want (long and thin, or a bit more stubby). The whole sharpening issue is the reason I moved to mechanical pencils. No sharpening, the pencil lead lasts a while, and my mechanical pencil (a Uni Turu Toga) automatically rotates the lead so that I don't get flat spots.

@gavinmcknight9206 8 күн бұрын

I was literally thinking about this today. Almost every paper bag ive used in my life has the Duro logo on it, and that made me think about how lucky it would have been to invent a product that cannot by improved at all, so that person has the entire market on paper bags.

@vwestlife 6 күн бұрын

Contrary to popular belief, the QWERTY keyboard layout wasn't just some random layout designed to slow you down. Except for S, the home row is alphabetical from left to right -- even moreso in the original version which had M on the end, next to L (later M was moved down to the bottom row). All the vowels except A are on the top row. And the two least commonly used letters, Q and Z, are placed at the left edges, since your left pinkie is one of your weakest fingers. Plus it was a marketing trick to demonstrate the ability to type the word "typewriter" using only keys on the top row.

@chicagotypewriter2094 2 күн бұрын

Oh my gosh, I thought I was crazy for realizing FGHJKL was in order but didn’t realize why

@timothyspool1399 Күн бұрын

The design wouldn't be random if it was designed specifically to slow your typing.

@lawschuelke Күн бұрын

Why is typing "TYPEWRITER" on the top row a marketing trick? You really think that played into a single typewriter purchasing decision? "...not only that, but you can type "typewriter" with just the top row!" "Oh man, I was on the fence before, but now I HAVE to buy this machine if it can do that!" I am quite sure that exchange happened exactly zero times.

@vwestlife Күн бұрын

@@lawschuelke It seems plausible even if it sounds ridiculous. After all, one of the most common things people did to demonstrate a computer in the 1980s was to type in a small BASIC program to display the same word repeatedly on the screen, even though that obviously the ability to do that wasn't going to be a major factor in anyone's decision to buy a computer.

@lawschuelke Күн бұрын

@@vwestlife I could believe that salesmen used that coincidence in their sales pitch. I would NOT believe that it had any bearing whatsoever on the layout design decisions.

@ZeeengMicro 12 күн бұрын

Maybe the 5th element is the friends we made along the way

@TheRandomDave 10 күн бұрын

multi-pass

@NenadKralj 9 күн бұрын

korben dallas 😅

@astononline8845 6 күн бұрын

Plus 1

@BuckingHorse-Bull 6 күн бұрын

anyone else here after watching Jerry Seinfeld on GQ

@cavemann_ 4 күн бұрын

It's true!

@ericfieldman 12 күн бұрын

Please don't stop making these videos man, this stuff is so interesting and applicable, and almost fundamentally something most people aren't meant to think about as much as they should

@BlueTorchWeddings 11 күн бұрын

The content is so amazing

@staticlee4287 11 күн бұрын

That’s exactly what I’m thinking, he’s showing first principles thinking executed properly. There was no point in the supply chain where anyone could intercept or shake Ford’s business. He controlled the basics of what his business was built on thus allowing him control of the fundamentals and ensure everything is going according to his pace and that is “as quick as possible”

@tymorgan3549 10 күн бұрын

1000% agree!! This is basically a Ted Talk without the stage and audience. And you’d probably kill a Ted Talk

@Humperd00 5 күн бұрын

You’d probably like the 99% Invisible podcast

@ericfieldman 4 күн бұрын

@Humperd00 sounds like it, thanks for the recommendation! Is it on KZfaq?

@Leanzazzy 5 күн бұрын

16:50 Damn, Henry Ford really took control to another level. But look at how well he did. 17:10 When you show how he could literally create an entire car from plain ore in barely a day, it really puts into perspective how insane his assembly line speeds were.

@Keenath 2 күн бұрын

It's easy to make lots of money by exploiting and manipulating other people's work. The most cost effective form of labor is slavery. That's why "he did well" or "it makes money" can't be our sole determinant of what's a good idea.

@Healermain15 Күн бұрын

He was also a big fan of the Nazi's. Dude really was a piece of work.

@Bobogdan258 Күн бұрын

Seeing how much of a Nazi he is, I guess what he did in Fordlandia might've actually been a great success for him and his ideology.

@amosbackstrom5366 Күн бұрын

He took inspiration from the Nazis and the Nazis took inspiration from his manufacturing ideas...

@rob585 3 сағат бұрын

@@KeenathSlavery isn’t the most cost effective. You have to pay for their houses, food, days of rest, an overseer, and lots of prison-like equipment like fences, cameras, and watchdogs. Having slaves is very expensive, which is why only the wealthiest of the wealthy could have more than 1 at any time in history

@baddreams0919 7 күн бұрын

I just found this channel, i'm a mechatronical engineer and i've always looked at the word pretty much the way you described it in the vid, i was the whole video saying: "yes, exactly" "of course it is" you've earned a new sub

@hileutewie 8 күн бұрын

The flashlight gained popularity in Germany among taxi drivers, because it was so easily abused as a weapon for self defence. A club or baseball bat was considered a weapon - a massive flashlight on the other hand was just used to help finding houses at night. I know quite a few people that aren't taxi drivers, that had one of those in their car as well. As you say, it's just a confidence booster to know you could defend yourself if there is something happening. Skype during its early days wasn't just a (video-)chat software. It was used in companies to check in on employes too, due to the online status changing by default, if the user was AFK for too long.

@Orwic1 7 күн бұрын

Yes: and I carry a big maglite in my car 😀

@VesnaVK 4 күн бұрын

Not just Germany. I was a cab driver in the US. We all kepr Maglites on the front seat next to us. But... Why weren't they Kel-Lights? Shrug.

@drewrobinson5562 4 күн бұрын

Ya. My grandparents both carried a mad light in there trucks. Useful for breakdowns and as a self defense

@jeffreylittlewood6237 2 күн бұрын

The quintessential doorstop. Why have we never put a hard slippery surface like iron on the top and a soft high friction surface like rubber on the bottom? It works soooo much better.

@salvadordollyparton666 2 күн бұрын

abused as a weapon for self defense... words matter, and i don't think those meen what you think they mean. and they were just really good flashlights at that. there were no other flashlights in that price range that would light up like a 5 cells mag lite. and work more than twice.

@goldogwolly 11 күн бұрын

What an amazingly researched, scripted, presented, and produced video. Thanks for sharing it with us for free.

@Design.Theory 11 күн бұрын

Thank you for taking the time to write such a nice comment. I appreciate it

@meganegan5992 4 күн бұрын

One of the things that applied to Fordlandia was that Ford took the Midwest house idea so seriously that he even made them all face South, as they do in America, and failed to consider that the reason you do that is to make sure the porch gives plenty of shade in the *Northern Hemisphere*, but Brazilian homes typically face to the North. His cultural jingoism went so far he wouldn't even consider the consequences of a round Earth.

@pseudoboss11 6 күн бұрын

One thing about that last bit. Almost all of us already have our phones on vibrate almost all the time. A lot of us turn off a variety of notifications. One thing I could see happening in this space is not a major shift, but a quiet change towards controlling what information is presented to us. This will probably not resolve the issues of miscommunication and disinformation. it might even make it worse. But that's the direction I think things will go.

@presstoeject 11 күн бұрын

Nice work. I was a Design & Technology teacher for 20 years and I would definitely use your content in lessons if I still taught. You delve into design in a way that helps to explain and connect design as a cultural, psychological and personal issue. It would help to foster interesting discussions about the role of design in society. Keep it up.

@Asdayasman 11 күн бұрын

I have a paperclip that was sent to me by Alicebooks. I bought a book of sheet music from Japan, and, seeing the address was in England, they translated the song titles, printed them out, and clipped them inside the front cover with a paperclip that (when clipped) looks like a quaver. It is my favourite paperclip, for sentimentality reasons as well as novelty. I also have so few uses for paperclips that one is plenty for me. Other designs are substandard.

@chadcowan6912 6 күн бұрын

23:18 Congratulations on making it until 2019 in regards to succumbing to the near-necessity of the smartphone. I broke down and began my journey in 2018 because I needed Google Maps for work. My dad still uses a flipphone but he's retired. I have to say I love the appliance design of the post war era. I recently lost a late 40's/early 50's Philco refrigerator in a structure fire. The thing had curves to die for and it still worked. It ran on a 1/2 hp motor that would kick on for a few minutes an hour. It kept beer at the perfect temperature. I would say that it was from an age before planned obsolescence but I've heard the story of the light bulb cartel.

@Design.Theory 6 күн бұрын

Interestingly, the reason I got a smartphone was also largely for the GPS function.

@makatron 7 күн бұрын

The B-roll quality and context is off the charts brother, great content. Just found the channel and instantly subbed.

@mbanerjee5889 12 күн бұрын

While the current smartphone design may be quintessential, I think the original Motorola Razr was the best functional design. It was sleek but also a comfortable phone. I hate the lack of ports and buttons on everything: phones, cars, laptops, etc. For example, replacing physical car keys with key fobs ...what is the purpose? I think we need to go back to more tactile designs.

@BlueSparxLPs 11 күн бұрын

I think that comes back to the idea of reducing potential failure points. It takes less parts to access those functions via touch screen than to have physical buttons and keys. In terms of actually using the devices, I think whether or not to have buttons is purely a preferential decision, but in terms of manufacturing a reliable device I can see the argument to move away from the tactile stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if eventually our PC keyboards are all just long flat touch pads too.

@Argomundo 11 күн бұрын

@@BlueSparxLPs The reason why they slam touchscreens into modern cars is because theyre cheaper than designing an actual dashboard

@lainiwakura1776 10 күн бұрын

I had the Krzr, it fit better in my smaller hands.

@Grim_The_Reaper 7 күн бұрын

@Argomundo I think the fact that most people could replace a knob or button fairly easily by themselves but will have to take it in for servicing if any little part of their computer system fails probably plays a role in the death of tactile designs

@MrDoboz 7 күн бұрын

@@Grim_The_Reaper more likely it's that they can disable features and change overall functionality far more easily. if your heated seats are directly controlled by a switch, there's nothing they can do. they could however have the switch as input for the computer and let the computer control the heatig element. but why have a switch if you can have it in software? also this makes the complete system ready for remote control features, such as turning on the AC from an app. if the car has a dedicated switch for AC and a knob for temp, then either all those must be a momentary button (that's lame), or the computer has to be able to toggle the switch or rotate the knob, which is a rather complicated task with many added mechanical and electrical parts. it would be cool tho, like grand pianos that can play a midi file and you can see the keys moving, but that aint happening for cars any time soon

@Salimaleikum 12 күн бұрын

Now I want a video about your experience of getting a smartphone in 2019!

@Design.Theory 10 күн бұрын

Oh man it was quite a transition. Also, working with tech clients, I got a lot of condescension. People couldn't even fathom why I didn't want one or how I lived without it.

@Kutakura 10 күн бұрын

@@Design.TheoryTo be honest, yeah! How did you live without one??

@RuffusJY 10 күн бұрын

@@Design.Theory yeah that blows my mind. And I thought I was late to the game when I bought my first smartphone in 2009.

@edgarwalk5637 10 күн бұрын

@@Kutakura The same way people lived without them for most of human history.

@JaroslawFiliochowski 8 күн бұрын

@@Kutakura Yeah, how did they? I know I was alive before the smartphone, and before even the Internet, but already can barely remember how we lived back then 😅

@aijamberisabel 4 күн бұрын

I only just found your channel and omg so many things you mentioned here are so true with everything that goes into making a product feel “convenient” and most of all “effective” to the customers but you could definitely say it 100% better than I ever could.

@henriquefgirardi 5 күн бұрын

What a great video! The way you got together so much information and your amazing story telling, all to discuss the quintessential designs, is actually unprecedented. congrats! (from a industrial engineer)

@yhubtfufvcfyfc 12 күн бұрын

I would say that the main selling point of the sunbeam toaster is the more consistent toasting since it basically detects the surface temperature of the bread to determine when its done.

@luismiguel69able 12 күн бұрын

it is a bit mind blowing how this channel is better than most TV shows.

@Design.Theory 10 күн бұрын

Wow thanks!

@sonidojamon 8 күн бұрын

Plenty of channels worth watching nowadays. I stopped watching TV a long time ago, and KZfaq is one of the few subscription services I'm paying monthly!

@gaoxiaen1 5 күн бұрын

Not really. I stopped watching TV shows 35-40 years ago.

@kingzach74 3 күн бұрын

You could say that about most KZfaqrs. They often have far more passion and creativity than television producers since they have more love for what they do than those on TV. TV shows are all about making money. KZfaqrs are about passion and the last thing is money although that is a factor as well.

@shawndeprey 7 күн бұрын

Great video man. Been watching your channel for a bit now and it's clear your passion comes through in these videos.

@jevans84 3 күн бұрын

I need to understand how you made it to 2019 before purchasing your first smartphone, that is absolutely fascinating. Also I don’t think I’ve ever subscribed to a channel as quickly as this one, nice work.

@gameeverything816 2 күн бұрын

Probably was in prison 😂

@heythave 5 сағат бұрын

An iPhone 12 Pro was my first smartphone also. Before that, I had a Samsung flip phone.

@alwaysemployed656 9 күн бұрын

I can go for many years without typing a single word, lay my hands on a keyboard and start typing as if I never took a break from it. Once you learn QWERTY your hands will NEVER forget.

@achimwasp 8 күн бұрын

Would be the same with a more ergonomic layout (e.g. Colemak).

@MVAS-mp9oo 7 күн бұрын

@@achimwasp ergonomic factor lies in the physical form of keyboard(like using split keyboard and columnar stagger rather than row stagger) and your desk height proportional to your body rather than the layout itself. I am typing this sentence in crkbd keyboard with QWERTY layout and it'd be still ergonomically better than typing in your common 100% - 65% keyboard swapped with COLEMAK layout. However, COLEMAK is indeed more efficent layout than QWERTY for typing in english.

@alwaysemployed656 7 күн бұрын

@@MVAS-mp9oo For me it would be impossible to learn a different layout without getting multiple layout mixed as I type. I learned QWERTY back in the IBM days as a kid and stuck with it ever since. And I love using shortcuts way more than point and click with a mouse.

@erictaylor5462 9 күн бұрын

I had a 5, D-cell MAG light when I was delivering pizzas in the late 80's and early 90's, then I continued using it when I worked as a security guard. My reasons for preferring it were the same reasons the police liked it. I did sometimes have trouble with cops who believed it was only available for police, but while it wasn't easy to find that model it was available on the open market and 100% legal to own. I like to put the receipt inside the product if I can, so if a cop ever asked I could remove the batteries and show anyone who asked.

@colindonoghue6120 3 күн бұрын

Favorite quote about the model T and its focus on simplicity was about paint color “Any color the customer wants, as long as it’s black.” Henry Ford

@johnwayne-ou5yy Күн бұрын

how is this the first time I see a video from your channel? Absolutely awesome, well thought out, perfectly paced! 10/10 Video!

@JS-el3zm 11 күн бұрын

Another quintessential design is the Austin 7 pedal layout for stick shift cars with accelerator brake and clutch from right to left. Originally developed by Cadillac on their type 53 in 1916, it was became quintessential with Austin on their 7 model when they adopted it in 1923. It remains to this day.

@MrDoboz 7 күн бұрын

try an EV lol

@eatmyshoe 6 күн бұрын

@@MrDoboz OP never even mentioned EVs. All stick shift, manual cars use a century-old design. Minus the clutch, why's the gas pedal on the right and brake on the left in both ICE and EV cars? Still the exact same reason. Looking at the Ford model T, you'll see an entirely different layout, yet Cadillac's stuck around. It is indeed quintessential.

@tjsase 5 күн бұрын

*miss-reads your comment* Why are there 7 pedals when there are only 4 directions?

@JS-el3zm 5 күн бұрын

@@tjsase English isn't my native language, so I may have written the first comment a bit clumsy. Sorry about that. The car is called an Austin 7. It has a quintessential 3 pedal layout for stick shift with accelerator brake and clutch from right to left. Invented by Cadillac in 1916, but made famous with the Austin 7 series of cars in/from 1923. And it is still in use today. Better?

@tjsase 4 күн бұрын

@@JS-el3zm Of course, I was just making a reference to Red VS Blue

@mohd.azharuddinmultani2182 11 күн бұрын

The way you potray your research, the accuracy of the background music, the things you didn't include and why, it almost feels like a well produced educational movie

@scoobydoobies 3 күн бұрын

Shaving is funny example. The safety razor was perfect, and blades only cost a few cents each. The problem is it didn't make people rich, so we invented the Schik Quattro 5 blade + moisturizing blah blah and sell them at $5 a pop

@beniplayz1235 2 күн бұрын

This is an amazing video with great editing and story. Keep up the great work!

@jermtse 11 күн бұрын

The Nintendo 64 controller was the first one to introduce the thumbstick when it came out in 1996 - NOT the Playstation 2 (although the latter did add a second one on the right side). Also, the Playstation 2 didn't start actual production until 2000, so while the design of dual thumbsticks may have been announced before then, that's arguably not the same thing as actually "introducing" something to the market.

@Design.Theory 11 күн бұрын

It was introduced in 1997 for ps1. Never said ps introduced analog sticks, I said they popularized the double analog stick format

@maximeteppe7627 Күн бұрын

to keep going on game controllers; I'm still bummed out that the gamecube controller didn't have more of an influence. As someone who games infrequently, I really liked the variation of the action buttons shape and size as a way to make memorizing the position of game actions quicker ans more intuitive. (for those who never saw one, the main A "action" button was twice as large as the others, and surrounded by a smaller b button and two bean shaped x and y buttons they surrounded the A button. Of course it's a design that has several disadvantages: several button shapes means more different pieces of plastic to build. also it nudges all games towards being more hierarchical about their design verbs, because instead of four equivalent buttons in a circle, you have one big main button and three secondary ones. Still, I feel to this day that this design philosophy deserved a better chance.

@declanbristol1957 11 күн бұрын

"Life is short. Nothing matters. Subscribe." Got me to subscribe. Keep rolling man.

@LoTech77 8 күн бұрын

Dude, I don't even know what to say except, excellent video! This video just randomly popped up on my feed, I am so glad I watched it. You definitely got yourself a new subscriber!

@Design.Theory 8 күн бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

@marijadragutinovic3360 2 күн бұрын

Wonderfully done video. I actually feel more educated after it and will be looking for forms of quintessential design everywhere. Keep making learning fun please.

@pacifico4999 12 күн бұрын

I love how much research you put into your videos

@keylanph 11 күн бұрын

You are my new favorite channel. Incredibly detailed explanations delivered in easily digestible verbiage. Please keep making these awesome videos!

@iSchmidty13 7 күн бұрын

As soon as I saw that Technology Connections video I went out and bought a Sunbeam, best toaster I’ve ever owned BY LIGHTYEARS I own two now, just because they’re so cool and effective and stylish

@LifeWulf Күн бұрын

This is the first video of yours I’ve seen, and I’m already hooked. Subbed!

@rhejamphi 12 күн бұрын

I'm working on perfecting a physical product design right now and preparing it for manufacturing. This video really gave me some ideas to consider, and brought to my attention some very specific things that need work. Thank you man!

@puvendranpillay8802 8 күн бұрын

Sure what ever say bro

@kingniik 10 күн бұрын

man, i almost never write into the comment section. But trust must be told. Everytime you drop a video, I get excited like a kid before christmas day. keep up the good work

@NathanZipin 8 күн бұрын

Take a shot every time he says quintessential

@jaredt.murphy8257 6 күн бұрын

Did I just watch a magazine? Every aspect of this video - the lighting, the volume, the pacing... gorgeous, informative, well researched. Masterful. Thank you. Also, I use the Punkt MP02! It's a Swiss designed minimalist telephone that I think you'll find cool!

@sullivan3004 12 күн бұрын

Great video! The part about Apples control on manufacturing is interesting, hadn't thought about it that way. Also I had no idea Ford started a Fordlandia, that stuff is insane. There's also a whole other discussion to be had about how Apple has done their design and maybe especially marketing to turn a luxury priced product into something everyone buys. It's really fascinating to me how they have managed to sell the Iphone as a "must have" to so many people.

@MrDada120 11 күн бұрын

I would be interested to see why collared shirts and suit jackets have been quintessential as well.

@Hopscotchlemonadespritz 7 күн бұрын

What we think of as the modern suit jacket were actually cutaway morning coats, as of the 1920s. They eclipsed the high frock coats of the 19th century and early 20th and the justacorp of the 18th and mid 17th centuries before then. Each successive generation of dress could be seen as less constraining and simpler to wear, but I'd say we've also lost a measure of elegance. I once asked a friend with an applicable education what the purpose of a collar and tie was. She explained that it acts as a "frame" for the wearer's face! Thinking about this, decided it made perfect sense and it was the only explanation needed for even relatively casual clothing, such as a flannel shirt or the classic biker jacket.

@Rubysh88 7 күн бұрын

Id say it’s because they are aesthetically pleasing while staying professional and comfortable (if tailored to you). It also helps the fact that you can be obese or extremely thin and the design can help thin or bulk your body shape. Really the only people who look kinda bad with a suit are the biggest bodybuilders but they are a minority.

@timfisher77 Күн бұрын

I recognise the ancient roots of the modern shirt collar and jacket lapel in old portraits of the scottish

@coreyrobinson9010 2 сағат бұрын

First video I have watched of yours, completely won my subscribe. Loving it

@user-samuDe1012 7 күн бұрын

Good video! Not only informative, but had a great message. Made me think , maybe not in the way that you expected. But made me think

@RichardPolhill 12 күн бұрын

Back in the 70s I used to visit somebody with my grandmother who had a machine in her living room that she would use to make paperclips. Presumably it was a job but I was always fascinated by this machine that was all cast iron and brass with a load of levers.

@j.f.christ8421 11 күн бұрын

Probably a job, that sort of "work from home" arrangement was pretty common, sort of like cottage industries. I've not heard of paperclips, but making switches and the like used to be done that way. The factory would supply the tools, and in the morning drop of the "raw materials" and at the same time pick up yesterdays competed items. I guess once automation got good & cheap enough to make fiddly stuff those jobs went away. Of maybe the mangers want the workers in the office so they could 'manage" them properly (a familiar concept these days).

@RichardPolhill 11 күн бұрын

@@j.f.christ8421 Yeah I should've said "obviously a job" really but it's from so far back in my memory I'm not sure how to describe it. Also, I think she was actually a member of my family but I'm not sure how.

@j.f.christ8421 10 күн бұрын

@@RichardPolhill To be honest, I'd love to have a hand-cranked paperclip maker in my living room. The closest thing I have to that is a jump-ring maker, and they're not very complicated.

@lddonovan 11 күн бұрын

Quintessential channel for getting new perspectives on the stuff surrounding you

@finnpellow 7 күн бұрын

incredibly well put-together video

@MishaG4mer 6 күн бұрын

I saved this video to watch later yesterday, and DAMN I am impressed with the quality of your work! It really made me realize how different my life would be without a phone, perhaps I would be doing creative things like doodling on a textbook much more without it.. But yeah, awesome video! :3

@user-en3sf5lu5p 7 күн бұрын

I'm a history student, not a designer, but when doing an assignment on propaganda a few months ago the KZfaq rabbit hole eventually took me to your design & marketing mind control video and I found myself subscribed before the video was over. I'm glad I found the channel a few years in with plenty of videos because now I get to start the mornings learning something AND I get told to have a nice day.

@dreambotter6389 12 күн бұрын

You only explained why Mag-Lites succeeded but not why the competitor & original one failed

@atrution 12 күн бұрын

Securing the market is the implicit reason, as what he is discussing is the quintessential item not the sole marketable item. There is one primary popular example of a product in many areas, and in the case of heavy duty flash light that is the one, so none of its competitors hold that podium.

@veloc.raptor9136 Күн бұрын

what a beautiful channel. simple, straightforward and interesting. keep it up

@jansurudo5406 5 күн бұрын

thanks for this material, as always, straight to the point with a broad context :) I would like to ask for an audiobook if there is such an option :) it’s all about thinking about others and what could help them change their habits for better

@CloudyGamingCG 12 күн бұрын

Great content! Love your philosophical knowledge on design and cultural growth theough it... Thanks for putting it for free here❤️.

@trebushett2079 12 күн бұрын

The model T Ford used about ten times as much copper and magnet steel in its trembler coil ignition system than if they'd used the high tension magneto for ignition - very efficient!. And so they obviously didn't get everything right.

@Design.Theory 12 күн бұрын

The Ford Model T was awful in many ways. But it's still quintessential.

@PR-cj8pd 11 күн бұрын

But a magneto has to be powered, no? So this system is simpler and more failsafe, no?

@bontrom8 8 күн бұрын

There was a military concept that helps to target quintessential design. Military gear designers want to field a perfect design but perfecfion is too time consuming and expensive. Therefore in order to get useful items into the hands of Soldiers on the front line they decided a certain percentage of perfection that was good enough as well as arriving on time to fight the battles. Hearing your video makes me understand more of what goal they were shooting for in terms of a trusted product. @@Design.Theory

@gaoxiaen1 5 күн бұрын

@@PR-cj8pd No, and yes. It generates its own current. It works without an electrical system except for plug wires.

@dielaughing73 16 сағат бұрын

@@bontrom8as a design engineer, let me tell you: perfection is not time consuming and expensive, it is unattainable at any cost. Every design project balances form, function, cost, durability and many other variables against the available time, budget and resources.. and ends up as a compromise based on factors beyond the designer's control. Wartime production just brings that tug-of-war into sharper relief.

@TheKhopesh Күн бұрын

I think the best improvement to a paperclip that we could make would be modifying the cutting portion to slightly round the edges of the cut ends that scrape along the paper. As-is, paperclips kinda tear into the paper if they're holding a few too many pages, and you go to pull the clip off by sliding it (the normal way). If the edges of the cut wire ends of the clip were just a little less sharp at the paper-contacting area, it would drastically improve performance.

@devnol 7 күн бұрын

Absolutely incredible video essay. Brings up so many things to think about and discuss. The world needs more channels like this and more educators like you. May the Algorithm bless you with infinite growth.

@RaffiDiranBassclef 12 күн бұрын

Here I am watching this too early in the morning and you say you talked to Raffi, i was seriously trying to recall if that happened. Then figured out i'm not the only Raffi...note to self, coffee first 🤣

@whyamiwastingmytimeonthis 11 күн бұрын

Wow, you talked to him? What was he like?

@ctrl-alt-bingo 11 күн бұрын

The porsche 911. Only changed because the government mandated it, and it barely changed

@Dragon-xd9em 7 күн бұрын

Wait what? I didn't know about this, can you explain more?

@TheDennys21 4 күн бұрын

@@Dragon-xd9em what's there to explain? All 911's look pretty much the same.

@itsamindgame9198 20 сағат бұрын

My friend's parents were given one of those Sunbeam toasters as a wedding present. When we visited them in OUR twenties, it still worked perfectly and looked new. Into our fifties now, and apparently it was semi retired because they were cutting down on their bread consumption. It was, in the 50s and 60s, well known and coveted and was believe it or not an "aspirational" toaster. Everybody knew about it, but not everybody had it because of the cost. The same reason Rolls Royce is not the standard motor vehicle today.

@prithviboinpally2138 6 күн бұрын

John Travolta explaining product design to me, what a time to be alive

@SimGunther 11 күн бұрын

Ironically, the Opera sponsorship demonstrates quintessence in that the modern web browser design in Chrome has not changed too much from 16 years ago, which didn't change too much with what Netscape had in the 1990s, as every other big web browser has a similar design because of either the Chromium base or the main design language of search bar + settings + tabs at top with the rest of the page just being there is all people ask for in a web browser. Xanadu sure looked better back in the 1980s, but because it was the wrong time when "web browsing" wasn't popular, the project didn't captivate people in the same way Netscape did. As wonderful as Xanadu is, I keep asking myself "what problems are the Xanadu project hoping to solve that these other web browsers hasn't solved yet?"

@CsendesMark 5 сағат бұрын

Opera had a better briwser engine, but they never had enough marketshare, since the bug-tech will always push it's own crap. MS with IE once had 95%, but it was the worst. Chrome isn't much better. I used to love opera, but changed to Vivaldi, yeah - sadly still chrome based...

@paclin9951 12 күн бұрын

The QWERTY keyboard slowdown is actually a myth

@AKK5I 12 күн бұрын

Yeah I've heard that urban legend get passed around way too often

@PR-cj8pd 11 күн бұрын

You are right. However, alternative layouts as Colemak or Dvorak are a lot more efficient.

@tremor6160 11 күн бұрын

Why do you say it's a myth?

@AKK5I 11 күн бұрын

@@tremor6160 uh cause it's not true?

@tremor6160 11 күн бұрын

@@AKK5I How do you know it's not true?

@Gnomable 7 күн бұрын

I never really thought about process being the product, and it's interesting to see how much quintessential design comes down to simplicity.

@ziniUnderhill-co1ql 6 күн бұрын

Such an amazingly produced video. The model T section was just so good.

@samberg3864 7 күн бұрын

At this point I'm surprised that Ford didn't buy the restaurants and stores/markets that fed his employees, and then buy the farms that produced the food that supplied them, and then bought the manufacturing facilities that produced the farm and restaurant/store/market equipment used by all those places he now owns, and then start this whole cycle over again with the supply chain for the raw materials for those manufacturing facilities, etc, until he owned the entire damn world lmao.

@Design.Theory 7 күн бұрын

He actually did have on-site food and even security services in his manufacturing compounds. The whole operation was absolutely and utterly insane.

@timfisher77 Күн бұрын

@@Design.Theory BWAHAHAH!

@heythave 5 сағат бұрын

Elon Musk has taken some ideas from Ford in vertical integration. Let’s see what kind of car or cybercab he comes up with this August 8, 2024. Eliminating the unnecessary to save on cost is the goal of this new $25k car, which supposedly can be also used as a robotaxi.

@m3rkaba86 7 күн бұрын

I can’t believe you’re so technically savvy, but didn’t own a smart phone until 2019

@Soundy777 7 күн бұрын

Went from mindblowing toaster to "why is there a jaguar in the kitchen?" ... absolutely wild ride & utterly phenomenal presentation! Subbed!

@SilverAura 3 күн бұрын

I absolutely love how you admire Alecs admiration of the toaster design as a net-positive, even if it's not the majority.

@Shut.Eye.Cinema 12 күн бұрын

The TRIZ method allowed for a rendition of the familiar toilet structure.

@BrodieMitch 12 күн бұрын

I want to put my toast down when I chose. For example today I was cooking bacon at the same time, so I did not put my toast down until I thought it would be ready at the same time as the bacon

@aegisofhonor 7 күн бұрын

The Sunbeam automatic toaster was in production for over 45 years, only stopping production in the mid to late 90s. They discontinued it mostly because it did not line up with their future product lineups and was one of the last holdouts of their post war products.

@aungkyawkhant321 2 күн бұрын

23:40 "imagine a computer without a computer mouse" Laptop trackpad: Am I a joke to you? That aside, great video!

@aanon1342 12 күн бұрын

paperclip can be improved if sharp ends of the wire are rounded off so they stop ripping my papers

@benoit-pierredemaine3824 9 күн бұрын

99% don't care, and will prefer the cheap clip over better one.

@Jrakula10 12 күн бұрын

damn didnt realize ford was literally a game of factorio

@DRakeTRofKBam 3 күн бұрын

exactlyy, eventhough he played it backwards

@marianopereyra1372 5 күн бұрын

I feel like I listened to a lecture. What an amazing video. Great work

@TTOS69 6 күн бұрын

I remember the mag-lite! Im a 94 baby and I remember when my dad had one of these, he was a firefighter/captain. I loved that light bc it was so heavy, metal, and i guess cool? Kinda like those amazing super powered lights that are like the Sun nowadays.

@r.b.8061 11 күн бұрын

iPhone since 2007 🤪😂. In my opinion, it is the connection to the internet, that made it so successful and the integration of a camera. You can carry it everywhere and become a multi tool for our modern life. Very good Video. Well done!

@durrellsg 10 күн бұрын

Just gonna skip over the N64 huh

@Noisy_Cricket 6 күн бұрын

Yeah. The Nintendo fanboi in me was pissed 😂

@francescopessina9400 5 күн бұрын

Despite all the sentimental value, I wouldn't consider the N64 quintessential - or _any_ console, really - because no element of its esthetic design survived the test of time. Iconic? Yes! Quintessential? Well... Ironically, the Nintendo controller is much more quintessential than any (of their) consoles. You could make the same point about the controller, except he doesn't talk about its design as a whole but the button layout only. I mean... Look at how little iPhones change from gen to gen compared to game consoles.

@carsongarrett7707 5 күн бұрын

Nobody still plays 64.

@durrellsg 4 күн бұрын

@@francescopessina9400 analog stick?

@aokaaay Күн бұрын

bro, what an incredible video, kudos to you

@donerskine7935 Күн бұрын

All the letters of 'TYPEWRITER' are on the top row of a QWERTY keyboard. Allegedly to make them easier for early typewriter salesmen find them when demonstrating typewriters.

@Xzcouter 12 күн бұрын

Ford Model T making human genetics 'more robust' is such a hyperbole of a statement solely focused on the western population of the world lmao. A super majority of the human population didnt own nor had access a Model T (Africa, Eastern World, South Asia etc.).

@krombopulos_michael 12 күн бұрын

Even within the west, it only sold 15m units. The vast vast majority of Americans and Europeans never owned one.

@jamesengland7461 10 күн бұрын

It was the start of the car being available to all. Other cars carried the torch, such as the Beetle and 2CV.

@gaoxiaen1 5 күн бұрын

@@krombopulos_michael 15 million when the US population was about 100 million. Urban dwellers don't really need a car.

@toonedin Күн бұрын

As a South Asian I only ever get to hear about all the stuff which changed Americans' world, through videos like these, Hollywood movies, and magazines when I was younger. Having grown up with an entire ecosystem of different icons, such emotional hype is mildly amusing, just about. We even drive on the opposite side from you. There is nothing that one and a half billion people can relate to, or make sense of. This may as well have been a movie and not a documentary, for those of us who are on the other side of the world, figuratively as well as literally.

@monad_tcp 12 күн бұрын

30:08 That can be fixed by the user owning the software, not by changing anything on the hardware. And to own the software, a severance with the network is required, at least to the network of the manufacturer of the phone. The smartphone needs to become more like a personal computer, which gives much more control to the user (but that would be at the cost of some convenience, that's why it doesn't happen), or, ironically what we had before : "pocket computers". Another thing that would greatly help is if we just destroy the data broker industry with stronger laws like the EU is doing. The data is owned by the user, it can't be captured from the device, end of the question, that would change the incentives.

@Design.Theory 12 күн бұрын

It's ironic how you can customize every micro-feature on a phone down to wallpaper and button colors, but you have absolutely no say in how you want it to integrate into your life

@resin8n 8 күн бұрын

Another absolutely fabulous video. Thanks for these!

@ihavekalashnikovyoudomath9275 3 күн бұрын

16:11 Ford over here pioneering the saying "Fine...I'll do it myself"

@VR_Wizard 12 күн бұрын

My dad never got a smartphone. I just imagened he could start with iphone one today, then upgrade to a new iphone every month and after a year he would still not have upgraded to the latest iphine 😂

@quintessenceSL 12 күн бұрын

I approve of this. Missed beautiful. Quintessential design is beautiful at an almost primordial level.

@anthonysalciccioli5918 8 күн бұрын

This video was outstanding. Learned a ton. Keep up the good work!

@bicivelo 5 күн бұрын

Interesting how you said people in developing countries only have smart phones for internet. This is very true. In talking with Joseph Jacobson, co-inventor of E-ink, he told me the biggest benefit of e-ink, and what he’s most proud of, in not the creation of the kindle /e-books but rather the creation of super cheap, mass produced smart phones that have a crazy long battery life using his technology. He said this has helped level the playing field in developing nations because they can get the same information that those in power do, ie, grain prices, news, etc. so it helps those at the bottom to rise up because as they say, “knowledge is power.” anyhow, I thought I would share. This is a fantastic video. Liked and subscribed!

@HungrysitesRu 12 күн бұрын

You should have presented opera as an example of a non quintessential design 🤣

@Taziod 12 күн бұрын

It's slow but it's becoming more obvious gyro aiming is better for controller users. Soon console gamers will learn

@BongShlong 11 күн бұрын

There's even a guy playing counter strike with gyro. One of the most challenging shooters played at elite level on controller. Really wild to watch

@Taziod 7 күн бұрын

@@BongShlong Yeah eventually people will learn, the options for it just need to be made properly for games like call of duty then enough "pros" will switch and it'll catch on, then we can do away with aim assist for good