I’ve always been fascinated by things that we, as a generation of designers, figure out how to improve upon, not because of some advance in technology that wasn’t available to a previous generation, but because of approaching the problem with an eye towards design.
I’d been thinking of collecting these examples for a long time (in a way they’re a different take on my Design in the Wild series) and recently got the inspiration when I was pumping gas into our car. I’m going to start posting those in a new feature called Evolution by Design.
While doing so, I noticed the attached gas tank cap and remembered my mother’s old Honda Civic and how we occasionally would start to drive away from the gas station when we’d hear the cap roll down and fall off the roof of the car. Tethering the cap to the car is a simple solution to the problem.
As an aside, check out the unintended use of the “older” tech by my friend Brian:
Love it.
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What is technology other than the application of materials to solve a problem? Somebody had to develop the manufacturing process that made the gas gap tether an economical addition. When does it stop being technology and start being design?
Point taken. Almost anything could be abstracted to being an advance in technology but I think it's a judgement call as to whether being able to conceive of the possibility was due to technology (i.e. having your address book on your phone AND on your computer) or more about looking at the problem differently and doing more with the what you have. Does that make sense?
The number of times that I've driven away without the gas cap on…
I love when I see design solutions that solve small, everyday problems, those “why didn't I think of that” moments. There are so many increments in design all around us e.g. re-sealable lids for milk cartons, that have a knock on effect to reduce the number of problems that we have when using the product. I can open the carton with ease, it is easier to pour and creates less mess, the product itself lasts longer.
Using the gas cap tether as an example, it saves my gas from evaporating as I drive off, saves me replacing my cap etc…
So these “small” changes to product design can make big differences.
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