Ilse Crawford discusses useful objects such as prosthetic hands, electric bikes and shavers in the second episode of Braun's masterclass video series that Dezeen is publishing as part of our collaboration with the German design brand.
Braun launched the Good Design Masterclass video series, which is led by British designer Crawford, to inspire "good design for a better future" and to mark its centenary. The second episode focuses on useful objects.
"Fundamentally, 'useful' is about functional things that people really need," said Crawford in the video. "Genuinely useful design creates the building blocks of our lives."
"Sometimes, 'useful' can make things more convenient. But it can also improve lives in quite profound ways." The VanMoof S3 bike aims to be "the sustainable future of mass transportation", according to Crawford
One example of useful design featured in the video is the VanMoof S3 electric bike, which Crawford described as a "beautiful piece of functional design". The design aims to be "the sustainable future of mass transportation", according to Crawford.
"This is a municipal object, it's a commuter tool," she said. "And you see it in what is in front of you. It is sturdy, everything is integrated into the frame, everything is embedded. And when they develop new models, they don't mess around with new styles or novelty. Every upgrade is based on improving the functionality of ...