Yesterday after work I was walking to the downtown 6 getting soaked and splashed by the wintry mix of the day. This should have been unpleasant: it was cold and wet and dreary out, it was rush hour, and I just wanted to get to the gym. It wasn’t, though. And I have good design to thank for that.

Here is a list of the items on me that made my scramble to the subway less than miserable: my North Face jacket, my Timbuk2 messenger bag, my iPhone, and my Contigo coffee thermos. Here is a list of my surroundings that made my scramble to the subway less than miserable: the traffic light, the crosswalk, the steps leading out of my office building, the traffic median, and the subway car. And let’s take some things for granted before I dive in: the human body is an amazing machine and without it none of this was possible. Further: this is from a viewpoint of absolute privilege. I realize how well off I am to enjoy the things I listed above. I realize not every person is as lucky. But I also want to illustrate this post’s title: good design is everywhere–everywhere humans have had the time and resources to think and build–and is relatively class-blind. Relatively. I could continue explaining what I mean but I don’t want to detract from the focus of this post; how different socioeconomic classes experience design is a topic for another day.

Ok, so where was I? Right. Winter was lashing out its fiercest blows, doing what it does best. And I didn’t mind at all because of I was surrounded by good design–design that we so regularly ignore and/or take for granted.

First, my North Face jacket. I can’t find my exact model, but it is something like this (in black). It is at once light and warm. I don’t like oppressively thick puffy jackets; I feel like they severely impede my mobility. This jacket delivers the minimum effective dose–not too much, not too little. It is insulated and warm enough to keep me comfortable through a New York winter. It is thin and light enough that it doesn’t weigh me down and overheat me. It has big deep pockets that can fit my wallet, my keys, my phone, and my hands. Its hood is super dorky looking when I wear it because it was designed to fit your head and not much else (though there is enough room to keep my headphones on when I’m wearing it) but it keeps my head dry and warm. I am all about minimalism, and this jacket is a respite in a market crowded with big puffy down jackets and nice-to-have-but-unnecessary features. When it inevitably wears out because I wear it so much, I will buy it again in a heartbeat. 9/10 (-1 because I really wish the hood made me look like less of a dork).

Next, my Timbuk2 messenger bag. I am a bit of a bag nerd, and spent a lot of time looking for just the right one. At last I discovered it just last week: the Command laptop messenger bag. It doesn’t look like much, but again to me that is good, minimalistic design at work. This thing–from its materials to its size to its features–is almost perfect for me. It fits well. The clasps are swivelly and contort with your body and movements. It’s made of super durable, thick nylon, so it’s water-resistant and keeps my stuff safe and dry amidst the wintry mix. It also comes with a handy “female strap” that you can attach from the shoulder strap to the D clip at the bottom of the bag. The strap sits perpendicularly below the shoulder strap and wraps around to the back of your body, effecting creating a cross-strap system and pinning the bag snugly against your body. It doesn’t whip around as you weave in and out of ambling tourists. I’m guessing it’s called “female” because of the awkward splitting effect messenger bag straps have on ladies’ chests. But the strap feels really useful, boobs or no boobs. Just another small piece of thoughtful design (that wasn’t even mentioned in the product description).

And finally, my Contigo travel mug. I bring it with me every day. It weaves in and out of those aforementioned sidewalk crowds right along with me and not once has it leaked (the affliction of the travel mug, so it seems). It fits perfectly in the grip of my hand. To open the sippy hole thing, I push the button that my thumb naturally rests on anyway. It keeps hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold. And personally, I think it’s pretty sexy looking. I love the dark gray metallic sheen. The curves. It definitely suits my aesthetic.

Alright, I had also listed the iPhone as an example of excellent design, but I’m not going to explain it because a) we all know Apple values design above almost all else and I will not bring any novel thoughts to that discussion, and b) I want to instead link you to this recent New Yorker article on Jony Ive, Apple’s Senior VP of Design, which is far more illuminating and interesting than what I can say about the iPhone. The phone is a godsend, it gets so much right, and I will leave it at that.

Until next time on Amateur Design Thoughts With Steph, where I possibly might but almost certainly won’t continue my discussion on the objects of my daily life that just….nail it. Adieu!