Why My Object is Good Design

The object I selected for our first project is an exceptional lamp that I received at Christmas to take with me to college.  It’s battery operated so it doesn’t have to be plugged in except to charge.  When you first look at it while it is folded shut, it’s quite unidentifiable—some strange silver tower, curved with a wider base and narrower top, and a black handle folded against the side, looking like a secret robot, perhaps, that will unfold into a many-limbed critter.  But when you open it, the lamp has two parts, a base and a lid with a white-light bulb that flicks on automatically.  The component with the bulb can be positioned in any of various angles to suit whatever purpose you have for it and stays put when you unfold the handle.

It’s a very creative setup, one that surprises and delights whoever sees it.  There are not switches, buttons, or doodads to clutter the design, and when folded it merely looks like an interesting piece on your desk, or wherever you choose to put it.  The light when turned on is very bright and crisp.  So it meets the three basic requirements for good design:  it’s functional, it’s certainly pleasant to look at, and it’s far more entertaining to use than your run-of-the-mill desk lamp with a bulbous shade and flexing arm.