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What is 'Good Design'? Thinking About It in Daily Life

2026年7月1日 12:46

When you hear the word 'design,' don't you think it sounds a bit difficult? Like it's only about beautiful layouts, sophisticated color choices, or things made by professionals—a world apart from our daily lives. But recently, I suddenly realized something. The truth is, the answers to 'good design' are scattered all around us in our everyday lives.

Why do we reach for 'that object' over and over?

The moment you grab your toothbrush in the morning. The time you spend drinking coffee from your favorite mug. The motion of picking up a pen after coming home from work. In these daily routines, don't you find yourself reaching for certain items again and again, while others remain asleep in the back of a drawer?

This difference is actually about whether the 'design' is functioning properly.

I have a rather expensive fountain pen in my room. It was a gift from a friend, and it looks wonderful. But honestly, it doesn't feel right in my hand. The weight, the thickness, the grip—it's just a small difference, but I don't feel like picking it up every day. On the other hand, there's a simple gel pen I bought at Seria for 500 yen. I use this one heavily every day. It writes well, it's light and fits my hand, and the ink flows smoothly. When these small details come together, I find myself reaching for it unconsciously over and over.

I think this is the essence of 'good design.' It's not about visual beauty, but whether the relationship between the object and the person is comfortable. It's about whether there is a reason for the user to choose it again and again.

The feeling of 'wanting to use it until it wears out'

Let me share one more story from the kitchen. I have three cutting boards: a large plastic one, a small wooden one, and a medium-sized wooden one. Every day, I find myself reaching for the medium-sized wooden one without thinking. Why? The large one is a hassle to store. The small one is too small for vegetables. But the medium one is easy to take out and put away, the size is just right, and it's endearing how the color changes as I use it.

In design terms, this is called 'fitting.' It's a state where the shape, size, and material are perfectly suited to the purpose. When things fit, people naturally want to use them until they wear out.

Another thing I realized is that well-designed objects tend to grow on you as time passes. A plastic cutting board is still plastic after three years. But a wooden cutting board deepens in color, its texture changes, and the marks from use become part of its character. When you look at the same object every day, this process becomes visible, making you even less willing to let it go.

I think this quality of 'increasing in value over time' is also an important element of good design.

The Power of 'Subtraction'

Recently, looking around my daily life, I realized that good design is surprisingly simple.

Take shampoo bottles, for example. The ones I have at home are a two-tone black and white, with no bumps or ridges, just a simple rectangle. At first glance, it looks like nothing special, but it doesn't look out of place in the bathroom, it doesn't clog when turned upside down, and from any angle, it feels like a finished product where you think, 'There's nothing more that needs to be added.'

Conversely, bottles with a lot of decoration might look eye-catching, but when you actually place them, they look a bit out of place. They get in the way when cleaning. And as you look at them every day, you start to think, 'Wait, don't I not need that decoration?'

Among designers, there are terms like 'subtraction' and 'minimalism,' but these aren't just fashion; they really function at the level of daily life. Keeping necessary things to a minimum, while maintaining full functionality. This 'decisiveness' creates items that can be used every day without stress.

IKEA furniture is a good example. It looks simple. But from the assembly steps to the color options and the flexibility of where to place it, everything aims for 'maximum usability with minimum complexity.' That is probably why it continues to be chosen by so many different people around the world.

A Lesson in Finding Your Own 'Just Right'

Having talked this far, I think many people will realize something. That is, 'good design' is not a universal answer, but something that changes depending on a person's lifestyle, hand size, and tastes.

Therefore, the answer to the question 'How do I find good design?' is simple. It is to carefully observe the things you pick up repeatedly and the things that feel good to look at every day.

I will list a few things you can start practicing today.

First, choose three items in your home that you feel you use over and over again. It could be your smartphone, a seasoning bottle, or a bag. Next, touch those three items and try to put into words 'why' you keep choosing them. How is the weight, the color, the size, the texture? This process of 'putting it into words' is important. By doing so, a standard for what is 'just right' for you will emerge.

And one more thing: when choosing something new, try testing it by asking, 'Will I use this every day for the first week?' Even items that look perfect can reveal minor stresses when you actually use them daily. For example, the size might be larger than you thought, or the color might not match the room. A short trial period is what truly teaches you the 'goodness' of an item.

When your 'eye for design' changes, your life changes

Since I started thinking about good design, the biggest change is that my daily life has become more mindful.

My choices in items have become more careful, and I spend more time observing the things I already own. As a result, I've started to be more creative in how I use them. I feel that when I hold items with refined designs, my own movements naturally become more organized.

Design is, fundamentally, 'ingenuity to improve people's lives.' It's not about flashiness or luxury. Even when walking through town, the fonts on signs, the handrails on station stairs, the lighting in the supermarket vegetable section... if you change your perspective, everything starts to look like 'design thought up by someone.' And among those things, there is a mix of things that are truly heartfelt and things that are just thrown together.

When you become able to sense that difference, the way you see the world becomes much richer. You don't necessarily need to buy expensive things. Whether it's from a 100-yen shop or an old tool, good design exists. Finding it with your own eyes, using it every day, and enjoying the changes—I think this is how to savor life through design.

A journey to find what is 'just right' in your daily life. That might actually be the most interesting way to learn about design.