| 
Dwight Eschliman Steelcase (1950s) INNOVATION: Adjustable height and tilt, soft upholstered seat FLAW: Unpadded armrests, no lumbar support
| 
Dwight Eschliman Aeron (1994) INNOVATION: Breathable fabric, easy adjustment controls, ample back support FLAW: Retails for $799
| 
Dwight Eschliman Basic Toothbrush (1950s) INNOVATION: Nylon bristles dry quickly, harboring less bacteria FLAW: Skinny handle hard to grip and maneuver for brushing all teeth
| 
Dwight Eschliman Oral-B CrossAction Vitalizer (2002) INNOVATION: Bristle pattern works well for different teeth and brushing styles FLAW: Ergonomic handle too big for standard toothbrush holders
| 
Dwight Eschliman Paper (1871) INNOVATION: Self-standing, easy to pack, sturdy FLAW: No handles, takes up lots of space
| 
Dwight Eschliman Plastic (1970s) INNOVATION: Cheap, easy to store, easy to carry FLAW: Flimsy, tears easily, becomes airborne litter
There is no such thing as perfect design. Good design, yes (the Sony-Ericsson phonecam, that handy plastic tripod that keeps a pizza box from smooshing into the pie) and bad design, certainly (did anybody ever really use the CueCat?). But perfection never happens, because design is about making do with what's available, within a budget, for the largest number of people.
In his new book, Small Things Considered, engineer-philosopher Henry Petroski looks at the compromises that surround us: the way Brita water filters work just OK; the dark spot in the beam of the otherwise superlative Maglite flashlight; the sticky residue left behind by duct tape. It's the same obsessive attention to detail that compelled Petroski to spend nearly 500 pages celebrating the fortunate fusion of graphite, pine, and rubber in The Pencil.
Petroski doesn't make these critiques just to quibble – he loves duct tape as much as the next guy. His point, rather, is that anything that is designed (and everything, he would add, is designed) involves choices, and every choice comes at a cost. Design, he writes, "is a compromise between features and faults, between good and bad, between hot and cold."
Here are a few of Petroski's favorite things – three products that worked great but had some disadvantages, paired with their later improvements, which in turn had their own shortcomings. As a wise man once said: Build a better Aeron, and the world will beat a path to your door.
| PLAY
| When Super Furry Animals Attack
| Star in Your Own Action-Adventure
| Evolution Of Species
| reviews
| Fetish
| Test
