What drew me to this post in the New York Times was not the title but the tagline: "...remarkable design projects that fulfill the old-fashioned objective of improving our quality of life".
It isn't something that seems to be thought about often, and is seldom acknowledged in the plain, honest way that this article does it.
The subject matter itself is interesting, as the article covers everything from oval plates to well designed books. It serves as a reminder to the consumer and the close-knit design community alike that design exists, sometimes well hidden, in every facet of our lives. It's nice to see that some designers are still pursuing things that don't seek to particularly excite or create controversy, merely to simplify in the same way that wheels on a suitcase changed the luggage industry. More design should be less about "how can I dazzle my consumer" and more about "what does my consumer need?" Apple is a prime example of a good balance of the two, as they have been demonstrating since they unveiled the Ipod years ago. Yes, it was streamlined and meant to attract attention, but it also served the purpose of being a large-storage mp3 player that allows one to actually see the music they've stored, something the consumer definitely needed.
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