Usefulness in Small Things

Design is everywhere—you don't even have to look for it, but you do have to change the way you think. A Heinz Ketchup bottle may be ubiquitous for those in the United States, but a disposable travel iron from Japan could be a first-time discovery for many, and vice versa. Therein lies the strength of this book: it makes the everyday objects, the "humble masterpieces" of the world easily accessible to anyone, anywhere.

"Some of the items appear odd, but none are about novelty," writes Hecht, a British industrial designer who co-heads the firm Industrial Facility with Colin (the two are also Muji's creative directors for Europe).

Hecht began collecting objects through his travels and searched through local hardware stores, pharmacies, and supermarkets for small objects that would communicate a sense of place. "Each of the objects I found appealed to me for a specific reason: the ability to address and identify a small and localized need, even when some were hopelessly flawed in their execution," writes Hecht. Included in the book are toothbrushes, lighters, paperclips, falafel makers, potato peeling gloves, soft drink bottles, and more gathered from countries including Israel, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and USA.

There's an interesting dialogue in contemporary design about how it should be thought of. Is it an art form, a craft, a functional object? Is it even possible to separate these things or group them under a single umbrella term? "Art is a presentation of thought that makes you think. Design is a communication of thoughts that make you use," writes Hecht.

Individual objects in the collection weren't conceived with the larger questions about design and art. Yes, these are things you use and throw away, things that are so commonplace that you don't think to think of them, and some are hopelessly flawed, too. Presented as a whole, though, the collection is an interesting commentary on design—a thought that makes you think, to use Hecht's phrase.

"I was starting to realize that forgotten or overlooked objects which held a promise impressed me, and they continue to do so," writes Hecht. We can continue to toss that ketchup bottle into the recycling, or take a page from Hecht's book and become more engaged with the things we encounter on a daily basis.