Something about this looks so futuristic, and it’s just an oven, which is technology that is thousands of years old! I also love the Ooni brand, as they basically reinvented an entire category and made prosumers want to buy cool furniture for their garden. I’ve followed Ooni for a long time and actually wish they’d move beyond just pizza ovens and go horizontal into all types of garden equipment, and eventually kitchen bits as well.
I was looking for a smart mug to keep my coffee hot (I love a piping hot black coffee). So many of these products require you to download an app so you can set temperatures, timers, and who knows what else. Overengineered to hell. They typically don’t feel like a mug either, being metal or plastic.
This mug has no buttons, no options. Just plug and play - place the mug on the charger when you’re done, and that’s it. The mug detects when there is hot liquid in the mug, and does the rest - genius! It’s also fine bone china, so looks and feels like a completely standard mug. Beautifully simple.
On the right is an example of a mug warmer designed by a product team who don’t really care about design - look at the number of buttons.
Such a stunning product to look at. Yes there is incredible engineering involved here to have a bladeless fan, but just looking at this product, it is created with love.
Timeless design that hasn’t changed since it was created in the 1930s. Beautifully simple yet practical and extremely high quality.
No buttons, a simple screen with one number. A masterclass in simplicity - the founder of Nest is Tony Fadell who was VP of the iPod division at Apple, which I think is why there’s such a focus on design.
Compare this to a traditional thermostat, full of buttons and confusing symbols.
I actually bought this from Amazon for a tenner. I LOVE the analog nature of this. You turn the knob to set the timer, and the timer fills with colour. Such a beautiful representation of how much time is left. A job very well done.
This is a weird one to be on this list, but the designers who craft Stripe’s books have done such a beautiful job. Each book is a work of art, with a beautiful hardback + cover. For some reason book design is just ignored, but Stripe take such care and attention, and you can tell as soon as you touch the book.
Again, an absolute masterclass in design. It makes browsing a website FUN. Stripe Press is a book company, so the website ONLY shows books, giving the appearance of a bookshelf. You scroll to show more books, and can click on the book to learn more. Stripe, thank you.
Such a beautifully simple product. All you need to do is place the red clamp on the positive, black on the negative, and press the on button. So simple, and easy. It’s also the size of a small book.
On the right is a grossly over-engineered jump starter that is full of buttons and options. This product team misunderstood that people need a jump start when they have a flat battery, and need ONE thing to be really easy - JUMP START MY CAR! NOCO fully understood this.
This is another Chinese built product, but I love the careful thought for the user. It’s a water bottle for dogs, and when you click the dispense button, water flows into the bowl portion of the bottle, creating a makeshift bowl that Poppy can drink from. If she doesn’t fancy a drink (which is often because she is fussy), you can then press the button and the water flows back into the ‘tank’ portion. So simple, and a super clear focus on user experience.
A leaf out of the Apple playbook. Just a simple, high quality, weighty ring, with no buttons. Even the packaging was beautiful. The charger is also beautifully designed, you just drop the ring on to the knob. Beautiful.
Another Chinese built product. A charger for my Apple Watch. The designer has really understood that Apple Watch users will probably be by their Mac when wanting to charge, and no one wants long trailing cables hanging around their desk. This simple design plugs into the USB-C port, and your watch sits on top. Simple + clean.
Easily the coolest lighter in the world. I love the angles, the neatness, the smooth action when you flick the lighter open. It just shows that even the most functional items, with care, love, and thought, can be beautiful.
The most incredible website I’ve seen. Incredible attention to detail. Explores the boundary of what a website can be, and basically turns it into a game, without any instructions.
The simplicity is beautiful and must have been so hard to do, and taken so long to perfect. Not a button anywhere. I’m sure they would have eliminated the wing mirrors if they could have, I’m guessing it was a car safety thing. Also shout out to the Tesla door handles.
Here’s a game - take a look at the picture and guess what year this car was designed?
You’d probably say 2025, 2026, right?
It was first launched in 2007, so designed multiple years before that. Truly way beyond its time, and a true masterpiece. Stunning, stunning car.
Look at what they’ve made these kitchen spoons look like. A truly incredible team, and a brand identity + design system that goes across their entire range. They are like the Apple of homeware.
Translates to ‘5 lands’ - a stunning coastline of five villages. Over the centuries, people have built terraces on the hills right up to the cliffs that overlook the Ligurian Sea, so you can’t physically drive between the towns, you have to hike.
This product has 1 job and it does it perfectly. No battery, a simple black & white LCD screen. You take it out of the box and you start rowing. I WISH other product designers would take lessons from this design. It’s beautiful, and basically hasn’t changed in 3 decades.