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Stuff that is just "right".
It works and I can't think of anything that could replace it.
The humble BS 1363 plug.
Safe as anything and a spectacular anti personnel caltrop
The bicycle. And if it's folding the Brompton.
Another from Casio is the basic digital watch.
The tiny folding tin opener - though being made redundant by that other classic the ring-pull can.
The clic-clac sofa bed.
The Telecaster (or Stat if you prefer)
Many of the tools and fixing systems we take for granted, Torx for example.
Aeropress.
Fantastic coffee. Very simple. Cheap.
Not sure i would call the telecaster an everyday design classic. It has always been a luxury item. Fantastic design i fully agree though.
I bring you the computer mouse
Anglepoise lamps.
The design is still stolen used by lots of other lighting companies,but the originals ( I think) are beautiful simplicity.
The design is still stolen used by lots of other lighting companies,but the originals ( I think) are beautiful simplicity.
I wanted one of the old industrial angle poise lamps for my shed until I saw how much they go for 🙁
The iPhone. You can argue about which version is the definitive one (probably the 6 for me), but it's a game changer and an absolute classic.
IKEA Atilop high chair.
Ergonomic triumph in the age range of kids it fits with no adjustment.
Indestructible.
Very easy to clean with no nooks and crannies to gather food (jet wash if you want - or even take the legs off and chuck in dishwasher).
Cheap.
Light.
More compact than some folding monstrosities
Fender P Bass
Airport Departure Boards - the ultimate information radiators
330 ml drink can
Bialetti Moka stove top
Croc Martens
The iPhone. You can argue about which version is the definitive one (probably the 6 for me), but it's a game changer and an absolute classic.
I am going to disagree with this. Its a game changing interface so in that respect its a phenomenal design.
However...
I don't think you can call anything a classic if it has such a short life before its obsolete. A classic would be so good it just doesn't need replaced. Casio watch, plug, ipods etc.
Its got consistently bigger to the point where its now absolutely massive. Its just a bloated device to lure in consumers. Its unique selling point is it does thing that they tell their customers they want.
Its only as good as the apps available for it. Compare it to the nokia 3310. Ubiquitous for so long, and functionally as good as it ever was.
Can't remember the date this was made but it's 50s atleast. Been in the family the whole time.
How about OS landrangers and explorers. Phenomenal mapping compared to most countries, and the overlapping cover that prevents the fold being rubbed away.
And some more
- BIC Pen
- Barcelona Chair
- IKEA Billy Bookcase
- Alessi Kettle
NOT THE UI ON THS FORUM - FFS!
I don't think you can call anything a classic if it has such a short life before its obsolete. A classic would be so good it just doesn't need replaced. Casio watch, plug, ipods etc.
I think the latter iterations do last, mine is version 11, 10 ish years old and still works fine. For an electronic device, that's a good lifespan. It's certainly lasted longer than many watches and iPods that I've owned.
Its just a bloated device to lure in consumers. Its unique selling point is it does thing that they tell their customers they want.
Is that not the tech rather than the design?
Cycling related.
Cheap, light and strong.
Swiss Army Knife? I can't remember a year when I have not had at least one. Actually, maybe add Opinel to that list given how simple it is, yet so useful.
IKEA Atilop high chair.
Ergonomic triumph in the age range of kids it fits with no adjustment.
Indestructible.
Very easy to clean with no nooks and crannies to gather food (jet wash if you want - or even take the legs off and chuck in dishwasher).
Cheap.
Light.
More compact than some folding monstrosities
This was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw the thread title. Makes every other example of a high chair seem like it was designed by an idiot
Merino buffs. There are lots of imitations, but I check one on for dog walks, cycling to and from work, going out for a run. They are just so usable!
I don't think you can call anything a classic if it has such a short life before its obsolete. A classic would be so good it just doesn't need replaced. Casio watch, plug, ipods etc.
I think the latter iterations do last, mine is version 11, 10 ish years old and still works fine. For an electronic device, that's a good lifespan. It's certainly lasted longer than many watches and iPods that I've owned.
Its just a bloated device to lure in consumers. Its unique selling point is it does thing that they tell their customers they want.
Is that not the tech rather than the design?
Yeah but the tech is the design you can't seperate the two.
To be clear i am not saying its a bad design, far from it but i would argue its not an everyday classic its constantly being "improved" tells you it isn't a classic.
And individual cases of it being used for 10 years aren't the same as "so good people haven't upgraded" for 10 years.
Bialetti Moka stove top
This again. I don't think it will ever not be a cherished morning ritual. I get tempted to buy a newer fancy shaped one, but we have a range of sizes going back 25 years which I can't see ever dying.
The humble cardboard egg box. It's evolved very little over time, is cheap, light, strong and does exactly what is needed.
Kenwood chef.
Timely thread as i was in the Design Museum on Monday and they have an installation for exactly this question. A good proportion of the above make the cut.
I'll add the Stanley Knife.
The ’safety bicycle’
Apologies for missing the n out of IKEA Antilop.
I'd forgotten just how cheap they are - £15 or less!
And even when being disposed of, it can be easily separated into materials for recycling (no fabric stuck to foam stuck to plastic etc).
I have the Canon version of that calculator on my desk and it has been used almost daily at work for the last 15 years, still going strong.
The 1460 DM in black is an absolute classic. Created in 1960 and still just as timeless and stylish today.
Agree on Opinel and the original SAK
Trangia… I know it isn’t perfect for everything but it’s great.
Not that old but time is passing… Alpkit Gourdon 25.
The original Birkenstocks
My Pamir Hypercracker… hard to find these days.
I don't think you can call anything a classic if it has such a short life before its obsolete. A classic would be so good it just doesn't need replaced.
We're talking about design though. The smartphone design hasn't fundamentally changed since the iPhone. Phones have a short life (usually) due to the rapid pace of technology changes, not fashion. From a distance you'd be hard-pressed to tell apart any phone made in the last 15 years. Look in the window of a modern-day pawn shop such as CEX and you'll see a rackful of shiny black slabs all near-identical to each other.
A given model might be relatively short-lived for sure, but the radical-for-the-time iPhone design has influenced an entire generation of handsets. Surely that's the very definition of a classic design, when the entire world has copied it.
We're talking about design though
We're talking everyday design. I did say the user interface was exceptional but the design of smartphones over all is poor.
Look in the window of a modern-day pawn shop such as CEX and you'll see a rackful of shiny black slabs all near-identical to each other.
Exactly. They are not in peoples hands, they've already been chopped in.
They fail the second line of the OP you can replace them with the latest one, almost immediately.
Lego!
Leftfield choice: the humble ironing board, no doubt there are dozens of different manufactures of these things but they all have basically the same design.
......the design of smartphones over all is poor.
I think you're going to have to explain/defend that statement.
Poor in relation to what? Poor at doing the job it's designed to do?
The hardware form and input and navigation model that was first introduced to mass markets with the iPhone is definitely a design classic.
So a 200e Squier Telecaster that will last a lifetime is too expensive for this thread but a luxury iphone that will be incompatible with a load of apps and unuseable in the near future isn't, Josh. Picky picky. 😐
Fork, knife, spoon. Better than any alternative I have dabbled with.......
......the design of smartphones over all is poor.
I think you're going to have to explain/defend that statement.
Poor in relation to what? Poor at doing the job it's designed to do?
Poor because they are disposable. They have a designed short life.
They are great phones and each time they get better i'm not disputing that.
I'm also not disputing that they are an iconic design.
I am not disputing they aren't nice things.
What i am saying is that they are horrendously wasteful and that is bad design. And we should not use that as an example of good design. Its an example of exceptional marketing.
More specifically, and i did edit my last post but it seems to have disappeared in forum being shit.
The brief was every day design, designs so good that if you do need to replace you go out and buy the same. No phone does that, i mean you could go out and buy an iphone 11 bit you wouldn't, would you. You would buy the newest model in your price range. So all phones fail the brief.
The brief was every day design, designs so good that if you do need to replace you go out and buy the same. No phone does that, i mean you could go out and buy an iphone 11 bit you wouldn't, would you. You would buy the newest model in your price range. So all phones fail the brief.
I'd still buy an iPhone though, and I said originally that the iPhone was an everyday classic design.
I also call out your comment about them being disposable. I use my phone more than pretty much anything else I own (the only other things that overtake it is my office chair and my bed, maybe the sofa). So to have to replace something that gets that much use every 8 or 10 years seems very reasonable to me. No, it's not got the lifespan of oak furniture, but it'll last way longer than anything else similar that I own.
Ticks all the boxes.
Victorinox Star Vegetable Peeler (Mine is the classic aluminium version. Amongst peelers this is the best)
(from Object of Use - shop sells plenty of good quality items and I going to buy some of the classic Spanish kitchen knives soon)
