cherished objects

I’ve talked about this before, and I’m not sure what’s bringing it to mind, but its a topic that I believe is pertinent especially in todays “throw away” culture. This is the idea of the cherished object, or at-least thats what I’ve been calling it in my mind. I’ve thrown this phrase out there as my design philosophy lately, but really, what is a cherished object?

Looking around my room it is easy to find my cherished objects; my numbers from various cross country and road races, the topo map from a canoeing trip to the boundary waters, that worn pair of jeans piled on the floor, the quilt keeping my feet warm that my grandmother made for me. The common thread here is personal experience. These are objects I would fight for, not objects that I would throw away on a whim. Thats a beautiful thing I believe, stuff becoming something that is cared for. We should be asking the question: how can design facilitate the creation of these cherished goods? Bethan Wood has made an interesting step with the Stain Teacup.

”The interior surface of the cup is treated so as to stain more in predetermined places. The more the cups are used, the more the pattern is revealed. Over time they will build up an individual pattern dependent on the
users personal way of drinking tea.”

Use enhances the product in a personal way, and the only user reveling the design would be a long-term user as the stain builds up over time. This is one example of a designed cherished good, and presents a design challenge. How can goods become better through use? This is a ‘mass customization’ of sorts, but with a different purpose. Instead of convincing people to buy products because they can be personalized, we should be convincing people to keep products because they are personal.