A ruler, a brush, or a pair of scissors can teach us about useful design. Their edges and handles reveal how much an object depends on the hands and habits around it.
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Materials
Metal, paper, wood, and plastic encountered through making and use. Looking at surfaces, edges, joins, and the marks that a finished image can leave out.
The stories
Wet clay offers its own pleasure before a vessel is finished. A rim, a hollow, and the small differences in a curve give hands and eyes plenty to enjoy.
A small carving gives you a reason to return to a familiar table. Grain, unfinished edges, and the feel of wood in the hand can keep a personal project interesting across many ordinary evenings.
Maintenance begins in the original drawing, with choices about parts, access, and explanation. Looking closely at an ordinary object offers a practical way to discuss what happens after its first period of use.
A tray leaves the desk, a lamp turns toward a different task, and the office chair joins another table. Ordinary work objects sometimes earn their place through the less official jobs they can do after hours.