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Fast Company
02-07-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Why showing your work is the new mark of great design
As AI -generated content becomes ubiquitous, products that reveal the time, care, and judgment behind their creation will offer a powerful point of emotional and commercial differentiation. With today's AI tools, it's possible to generate a complete brand experience in just a few hours—a name, a logo, a campaign, even a polished website. These systems visualize concepts with startling speed, compressing what once took weeks into an afternoon. And while most outputs remain virtual, we're already glimpsing a future where AI begins shaping not just ideas, but production. As the barriers to creation continue to fall, and design becomes both instant and infinite, a new kind of value is emerging: the kind that takes time. At Whipsaw, we've embraced AI for what it enables—faster workflows, more iterations, and rapid ideation. However, as the process becomes more efficient, we find that clients and consumers are increasingly drawn to something more challenging to replicate: the human element. Evidence of judgment. Taste. Craft. Intention. In a world of instant outputs, human hours are the new luxury. When anyone can make anything Part of AI's early allure came from its black-box novelty—the delight of watching something surprisingly good appear out of nowhere. But novelty wears thin. What once felt magical now feels pervasive. Consumers are learning to recognize when content lacks context, authorship, or accountability. As AI-generated content becomes more common, people are beginning to look for signs of authorship and intent. Tools like Adobe's Content Authenticity Initiative reflect a growing demand for transparency in the creative process. At Whipsaw, we hear a version of this question every week: When AI can generate high-fidelity mockups in minutes, how do you prove the value of design that takes time? And increasingly, the answer is clear. You show your work. History, handwork, and value Throughout history, cultures have prized what visibly took time to make. A hand-thrown ceramic bowl. An embroidered sash. A gold-leafed manuscript. The visible labor wasn't just aesthetic—it was a testament to mastery and care. In the late 19th century, the Arts and Crafts movement emerged as a response to the soulless standardization of industrial manufacturing. In Japan, the philosophy of monozukuri —continuous, respectful craftsmanship—remains a foundational design ethic. These weren't just artistic ideals. They were economic signals. They showed that something, or someone, mattered in the making. Today, we're seeing a modern revival of that ethos. Proof of process, proof of value Revealing the process behind a product isn't just an old ethos. It's a contemporary design strategy—and a powerful form of differentiation. Mercedes-AMG's 'One Man, One Engine' program allows performance vehicle buyers to trace their engine to a single technician, whose name is engraved on a metal plate under the hood. It's not just a car. It's someone's work. And the value of that signature is reflected in the price. Across industries, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: Products that demonstrate their creation process—and the humans involved in it—are commanding greater emotional and financial value. Authorship, on display Showing your work means embedding human decision making directly into the product experience—making authorship a feature, not a footnote. In physical products, this might manifest as exposed welds or tool marks that reveal the manufacturing process, or QR codes that direct users to a company's build videos or sourcing maps. Luxury brands have long recognized the value of visible labor: Each Hermès Birkin bag is handcrafted by a single artisan, whose discreet signature marks authorship. That human connection helps justify a price point far above mass-produced alternatives—because the object tells a story of time, mastery, and care. Digital products can do the same. Consider apps that annotate decisions, such as Headspace, which surfaces the humans behind its meditation protocols, or which credits individual contributors to collaborative boards. Even subtle UI elements, like 'curated by' tags or changelogs authored by designers, remind users that a person—not an algorithm—shaped their experience. Brands can also spotlight their storytelling processes through behind-the-scenes content, documented iterations, or showing rejected directions that reveal how choices were made. The goal isn't to overwhelm, but to create touchpoints where human judgment is visible—and meaningful. The next innovation is intent As AI makes it easier to generate, replicate, and scale design, the rarest resource left is evidence of intent. Brands will increasingly compete not just on form or function, but on visible human investment—the time, care, and discernment embedded in the work. Before AI, much of that effort lived behind the curtain. The magic was in the reveal—what was shown, not how it was made. But now that anyone can shortcut to a polished result, the real value lies in everything that can't be automated. Process. Judgment. Intent. For consumers in a world of automation, that kind of clarity signals trust. It says: This wasn't just made. It was considered.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
What goes into designing that popular teapot or water bottle? 2 top creators discuss the process
Ever wonder how some of the stuff we use every day came to be? I think about it sometimes when I'm at the stove with my favorite sauté pan, with its perfect trifecta of size, weight and performance. Or when I'm struggling with the badly designed zippers on my otherwise-swanky new tote bag. Good design doesn't just come out of thin air. From the idea to the finished product, it can be a long road. One mind might have cooked up the product idea, but there's usually a slew of others who have a say in getting it to your store. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. At the beginning, every clever gadget and life-simplifying tool had an industrial designer who spent hours thinking about the components that make it so clever or life-simplifying. I talked to two of them, both winners of multiple design awards: Dan Harden of Whipsaw, a San Francisco-based firm that's designed all kinds of products, from water filters and home saunas to the little tags you stick on things you don't want to lose. And Scott Henderson, an industrial designer whose eponymous firm in Brooklyn, New York, designs products for brands you've probably got in the kitchen, nursery and bathroom. 'Moby' spout cover for babies and tots If you have toddlers, you may have a little blue rubber whale, a Moby, on your bathtub spout. Henderson designed it for Skip Hop in 2008. Moby, made of a rubbery latex-free material called TPE, fits over the spout to protect kiddos from bumping into or touching the warm spout while they're in the bath. Its tail can function as a hook, and the tub's water spout can be right where a whale's blowhole would be. When Henderson is asked about his design favorites, Moby tops the list. 'I think it was a first-of-its-kind product that combined problem-solving innovation with an intrinsic soul and an iconic personality,' he says. Pixar included a Moby-like spout cover, Drips the Whale, in 'Toy Story Toons.' Working with boldface names in the kitchen Your OXO dustpan, T-Fal measuring spoons, Sunbeam Mixmaster and Chantal kettle also came from the imagination of Henderson and his team. If a product makes you smile, he says, it becomes easier to use. How do you get a blender or a spoon to make you smile? 'One approach I like is to design the object around one big idea, instead of 10 small ones. When someone can easily understand the purpose and the way to use a tool, that's a happy feeling," he says. 'The experience is as much sensed as it is seen. The product makes them feel smart, and when they feel smart, they smile.' A new kind of face shield for the pandemic During COVID's disruption of the supply chain, many designers started 3-D printing personal protective equipment (PPE) for hospitals and essential workers. After brainstorming ideas with product development company ZVerse, Henderson and his crew had an idea: How about a face shield that attached at the neck instead of the top of the head — a boon for food service workers, dentists and others? The ZShield was born. It also became popular for public appearances by celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt and Michelle Obama. The shield was produced in North Carolina, instead of overseas. 'We bypassed the supply chain backlog," Henderson said. Creating something useful is 'a sublime experience' Henderson says the creative breakthrough for a new product idea is the most gratifying part. "It's a dopamine explosion.' And when millions of people start buying it? Says Whipsaw's Harden: 'It's awesome to see your design out in the real world succeeding and making people happy. It starts with a thought that makes your heart jump. Followed by a sketch, then a computer rendering, then a model. Seeing a concept come to life like that's a sublime experience.' Harden's design oeuvre includes the FreeSip, a collaborative product with water bottle maker Owala, part of Trove Brands. The product made TIME magazine's Best Inventions list in 2023, as well as The New York Times' list of best water bottles in 2024. Whipsaw also worked with fitness company Tonal on a smart home gym that has fans like Serena Williams and Lebron James. Instead of a bulky set of iron, the Tonal system is wall-mounted, with digital weights powered by electromagnets, and an interactive screen for virtual training lessons. Then there's the Tile tracker, which attaches to things like wallets, phones, bikes, carry bags and sports gear. Whipsaw worked with Life360 on refining the design for easy attachment, and came up with fun colors to appeal to new tech adopters and families. 'Design is incredibly fun to do, but there are challenges,' Harden says. 'Keeping a vision alive for the duration of a project is hard, since there are many opportunities for it to get sidetracked by things like cost, product requirements and making sure the concept fits the brand. 'People think a designer has the proverbial 'big idea in the shower' and snap, it's done. It's way more involved than that.' Rethinking the piano Also an accomplished artist and musician, Harden says his design 'aha!' moment came while listening to classical music on a long flight. He got thinking about how instruments like the harp, violin and trumpet were beautiful to look at as well as listen to. 'What each of those instruments looks like greatly elevates the listener's musical experience.' But then there's the piano. 'It's a big black box held up with three chunky legs, with a sound-reflecting lid that's kind of a functional afterthought,' he said. Further, a pianist is watched in profile, so you miss much of the emotion on their face. So he started sketching out a sleek, smaller, front-facing piano that showed off its strings and mechanism to the audience within an evocative, wing-like silhouette. 'By the time I landed several hours later, it was conceptually worked out, and that soon became the Ravenchord piano," he says. There's more where that came from If these designers could redesign anything next, what would it be? Henderson would love to make city water towers more attractive; the standard silo with legs doesn't do anything for the look of the building it sits on, he says. He's also bothered by the unsightly orange construction barriers that beleaguer cityscapes, and sees those as ripe for redesign. Harden thinks the common walking cane could use a rethink. 'Or really any product that serves our aging population, I'd like to design," he said. 'Creativity is the most precious of human traits, and there's no better life pursuit than to study, practice and actualize one's creative expression.' ___ New York-based writer Kim Cook covers design and decor topics regularly for The AP. Follow her on Instagram at @kimcookhome. For more AP Lifestyles stories, go to
The Independent
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
What goes into designing that popular teapot or water bottle? 2 top creators discuss the process
Ever wonder how some of the stuff we use every day came to be? I think about it sometimes when I'm at the stove with my favorite sauté pan, with its perfect trifecta of size, weight and performance. Or when I'm struggling with the badly designed zippers on my otherwise-swanky new tote bag. Good design doesn't just come out of thin air. From the idea to the finished product, it can be a long road. One mind might have cooked up the product idea, but there's usually a slew of others who have a say in getting it to your store. At the beginning, every clever gadget and life-simplifying tool had an industrial designer who spent hours thinking about the components that make it so clever or life-simplifying. I talked to two of them, both winners of multiple design awards: Dan Harden of Whipsaw, a San Francisco-based firm that's designed all kinds of products, from water filters and home saunas to the little tags you stick on things you don't want to lose. And Scott Henderson, an industrial designer whose eponymous firm in Brooklyn, New York, designs products for brands you've probably got in the kitchen, nursery and bathroom. 'Moby' spout cover for babies and tots If you have toddlers, you may have a little blue rubber whale, a Moby, on your bathtub spout. Henderson designed it for Skip Hop in 2008. Moby, made of a rubbery latex-free material called TPE, fits over the spout to protect kiddos from bumping into or touching the warm spout while they're in the bath. Its tail can function as a hook, and the tub's water spout can be right where a whale's blowhole would be. When Henderson is asked about his design favorites, Moby tops the list. 'I think it was a first-of-its-kind product that combined problem-solving innovation with an intrinsic soul and an iconic personality,' he says. Pixar included a Moby-like spout cover, Drips the Whale, in 'Toy Story Toons.' Working with boldface names in the kitchen Your OXO dustpan, T-Fal measuring spoons, Sunbeam Mixmaster and Chantal kettle also came from the imagination of Henderson and his team. If a product makes you smile, he says, it becomes easier to use. How do you get a blender or a spoon to make you smile? 'One approach I like is to design the object around one big idea, instead of 10 small ones. When someone can easily understand the purpose and the way to use a tool, that's a happy feeling," he says. 'The experience is as much sensed as it is seen. The product makes them feel smart, and when they feel smart, they smile.' A new kind of face shield for the pandemic During COVID's disruption of the supply chain, many designers started 3-D printing personal protective equipment (PPE) for hospitals and essential workers. After brainstorming ideas with product development company ZVerse, Henderson and his crew had an idea: How about a face shield that attached at the neck instead of the top of the head — a boon for food service workers, dentists and others? The ZShield was born. It also became popular for public appearances by celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt and Michelle Obama. The shield was produced in North Carolina, instead of overseas. 'We bypassed the supply chain backlog," Henderson said. Creating something useful is 'a sublime experience' Henderson says the creative breakthrough for a new product idea is the most gratifying part. "It's a dopamine explosion.' And when millions of people start buying it? Says Whipsaw's Harden: 'It's awesome to see your design out in the real world succeeding and making people happy. It starts with a thought that makes your heart jump. Followed by a sketch, then a computer rendering, then a model. Seeing a concept come to life like that's a sublime experience.' Harden's design oeuvre includes the FreeSip, a collaborative product with water bottle maker Owala, part of Trove Brands. The product made TIME magazine's Best Inventions list in 2023, as well as The New York Times' list of best water bottles in 2024. Whipsaw also worked with fitness company Tonal on a smart home gym that has fans like Serena Williams and Lebron James. Instead of a bulky set of iron, the Tonal system is wall-mounted, with digital weights powered by electromagnets, and an interactive screen for virtual training lessons. Then there's the Tile tracker, which attaches to things like wallets, phones, bikes, carry bags and sports gear. Whipsaw worked with Life360 on refining the design for easy attachment, and came up with fun colors to appeal to new tech adopters and families. 'Design is incredibly fun to do, but there are challenges,' Harden says. 'Keeping a vision alive for the duration of a project is hard, since there are many opportunities for it to get sidetracked by things like cost, product requirements and making sure the concept fits the brand. 'People think a designer has the proverbial 'big idea in the shower' and snap, it's done. It's way more involved than that.' Rethinking the piano Also an accomplished artist and musician, Harden says his design 'aha!' moment came while listening to classical music on a long flight. He got thinking about how instruments like the harp, violin and trumpet were beautiful to look at as well as listen to. 'What each of those instruments looks like greatly elevates the listener's musical experience.' But then there's the piano. 'It's a big black box held up with three chunky legs, with a sound-reflecting lid that's kind of a functional afterthought,' he said. Further, a pianist is watched in profile, so you miss much of the emotion on their face. So he started sketching out a sleek, smaller, front-facing piano that showed off its strings and mechanism to the audience within an evocative, wing-like silhouette. 'By the time I landed several hours later, it was conceptually worked out, and that soon became the Ravenchord piano," he says. There's more where that came from If these designers could redesign anything next, what would it be? Henderson would love to make city water towers more attractive; the standard silo with legs doesn't do anything for the look of the building it sits on, he says. He's also bothered by the unsightly orange construction barriers that beleaguer cityscapes, and sees those as ripe for redesign. Harden thinks the common walking cane could use a rethink. 'Or really any product that serves our aging population, I'd like to design," he said. 'Creativity is the most precious of human traits, and there's no better life pursuit than to study, practice and actualize one's creative expression.' New York-based writer Kim Cook covers design and decor topics regularly for The AP. Follow her on Instagram at @kimcookhome.
Associated Press
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
What goes into designing that popular teapot or water bottle? 2 top creators discuss the process
Ever wonder how some of the stuff we use every day came to be? I think about it sometimes when I'm at the stove with my favorite sauté pan, with its perfect trifecta of size, weight and performance. Or when I'm struggling with the badly designed zippers on my otherwise-swanky new tote bag. Good design doesn't just come out of thin air. From the idea to the finished product, it can be a long road. One mind might have cooked up the product idea, but there's usually a slew of others who have a say in getting it to your store. At the beginning, every clever gadget and life-simplifying tool had an industrial designer who spent hours thinking about the components that make it so clever or life-simplifying. I talked to two of them, both winners of multiple design awards: Dan Harden of Whipsaw, a San Francisco-based firm that's designed all kinds of products, from water filters and home saunas to the little tags you stick on things you don't want to lose. And Scott Henderson, an industrial designer whose eponymous firm in Brooklyn, New York, designs products for brands you've probably got in the kitchen, nursery and bathroom. 'Moby' spout cover for babies and tots If you have toddlers, you may have a little blue rubber whale, a Moby, on your bathtub spout. Henderson designed it for Skip Hop in 2008. Moby, made of a rubbery latex-free material called TPE, fits over the spout to protect kiddos from bumping into or touching the warm spout while they're in the bath. Its tail can function as a hook, and the tub's water spout can be right where a whale's blowhole would be. When Henderson is asked about his design favorites, Moby tops the list. 'I think it was a first-of-its-kind product that combined problem-solving innovation with an intrinsic soul and an iconic personality,' he says. Pixar included a Moby-like spout cover, Drips the Whale, in 'Toy Story Toons.' Working with boldface names in the kitchen Your OXO dustpan, T-Fal measuring spoons, Sunbeam Mixmaster and Chantal kettle also came from the imagination of Henderson and his team. If a product makes you smile, he says, it becomes easier to use. How do you get a blender or a spoon to make you smile? 'One approach I like is to design the object around one big idea, instead of 10 small ones. When someone can easily understand the purpose and the way to use a tool, that's a happy feeling,' he says. 'The experience is as much sensed as it is seen. The product makes them feel smart, and when they feel smart, they smile.' A new kind of face shield for the pandemic During COVID's disruption of the supply chain, many designers started 3-D printing personal protective equipment (PPE) for hospitals and essential workers. After brainstorming ideas with product development company ZVerse, Henderson and his crew had an idea: How about a face shield that attached at the neck instead of the top of the head — a boon for food service workers, dentists and others? The ZShield was born. It also became popular for public appearances by celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt and Michelle Obama. The shield was produced in North Carolina, instead of overseas. 'We bypassed the supply chain backlog,' Henderson said. Creating something useful is 'a sublime experience' Henderson says the creative breakthrough for a new product idea is the most gratifying part. 'It's a dopamine explosion.' And when millions of people start buying it? Says Whipsaw's Harden: 'It's awesome to see your design out in the real world succeeding and making people happy. It starts with a thought that makes your heart jump. Followed by a sketch, then a computer rendering, then a model. Seeing a concept come to life like that's a sublime experience.' Harden's design oeuvre includes the FreeSip, a collaborative product with water bottle maker Owala, part of Trove Brands. The product made TIME magazine's Best Inventions list in 2023, as well as The New York Times' list of best water bottles in 2024. Whipsaw also worked with fitness company Tonal on a smart home gym that has fans like Serena Williams and Lebron James. Instead of a bulky set of iron, the Tonal system is wall-mounted, with digital weights powered by electromagnets, and an interactive screen for virtual training lessons. Then there's the Tile tracker, which attaches to things like wallets, phones, bikes, carry bags and sports gear. Whipsaw worked with Life360 on refining the design for easy attachment, and came up with fun colors to appeal to new tech adopters and families. 'Design is incredibly fun to do, but there are challenges,' Harden says. 'Keeping a vision alive for the duration of a project is hard, since there are many opportunities for it to get sidetracked by things like cost, product requirements and making sure the concept fits the brand. 'People think a designer has the proverbial 'big idea in the shower' and snap, it's done. It's way more involved than that.' Rethinking the piano Also an accomplished artist and musician, Harden says his design 'aha!' moment came while listening to classical music on a long flight. He got thinking about how instruments like the harp, violin and trumpet were beautiful to look at as well as listen to. 'What each of those instruments looks like greatly elevates the listener's musical experience.' But then there's the piano. 'It's a big black box held up with three chunky legs, with a sound-reflecting lid that's kind of a functional afterthought,' he said. Further, a pianist is watched in profile, so you miss much of the emotion on their face. So he started sketching out a sleek, smaller, front-facing piano that showed off its strings and mechanism to the audience within an evocative, wing-like silhouette. 'By the time I landed several hours later, it was conceptually worked out, and that soon became the Ravenchord piano,' he says. There's more where that came from If these designers could redesign anything next, what would it be? Henderson would love to make city water towers more attractive; the standard silo with legs doesn't do anything for the look of the building it sits on, he says. He's also bothered by the unsightly orange construction barriers that beleaguer cityscapes, and sees those as ripe for redesign. Harden thinks the common walking cane could use a rethink. 'Or really any product that serves our aging population, I'd like to design,' he said. 'Creativity is the most precious of human traits, and there's no better life pursuit than to study, practice and actualize one's creative expression.' ___
