Money for nothing…*

In the current economic climate it’s hard to make money (unless you are a hedge fund and/or speculate aggressively around the volatility in the markets), but what if you could make even the most basic financial thingamajig, for example, a ten pound note into something that has intrinsic and sustainable value. That is the essence of design. It may also be the way to sort out Greece and the rest of the Eurozone, but we’ll need lots and lots of paper.

(Image from Agrablewski) 

Origami is simple, it’s intricate and it uses the most basic of materials to create spectacular and desirable outcomes – in 3D – and let’s be clear, 3D seems to be a hot trend at the moment...

A supreme example of design excellence from basic principles is how origami was used at the heart of NASA's space programme – it was used to help structure and engineer the unfoldy, solar panel bits (the bits that make satellites look like pretty flowers)… There is nothing more cutting edge or enduring in design than a satellite that is up in space for up to 30 years with these superbly simple unfoldy bits…

So, what’s the point of my blog this week? – It’s simply to say that design is about more than just having lots of money to splash out on the latest designer stuff - the best design is about focusing on the detail, the intricacy, the effort, the beauty and the intrinsic value of the finished product... or you could just make a paper plane…

* Dire Straits