I like nice things, nice simple things. I'd have liked to have designed one of these things. They're cool, simple and nice.

5. The Zippo Lighter

No fuss, the lid opens and closes like it should, stamped logo underneath and not in your face. No branding in sight is good with me. I don't like being a walking advert. Unless it's one of my T-shirts I'm wearing, you can get them in the Store :)..... Just joking, they sold out quick, I'll get more soon.

4. Staedtler Mars Technico Clutch Pencil 2mm

Used them everyday. Love them. Check the knurling :) I've broken the clips on both of these. I don't know how you could fix them or make them better. Both times the clips broke were my fault. I was picking up something heavy and it must have caught the clip and snapped. I like to have them in my pocket so the clip made them sit nice but without the clip they don't sit nice. It's not a big deal. You can buy different colours/strengths of lead for them. They're my favourite pencil to use.

3. Apple MacBook Air

The MacBook Air that I'm writing this on. I've had it since 2013ish. Still going well. The battery might die quicker but not too bad. Anything Apple designs is good so it's an easy/obvious one to choose. This has travelled everywhere and been bashed about. The thing I don't like about it is the lack of storage but I've always got an external Hard Drive with all my stuff on it. Solid purchase. Got a lot of mileage out of it.

2. These tin cups

I'm pretty sure these have been around forever and the hipsters were key to their resurgence. Hipsters can fuck off but I like these cups. Durable. Simple and do what a cup is supposed to do. I like them and have a few different types.

1. Porsche 911

The Porsche 911. Probably the best designed 'thing' ever. Timeless. This is a 74 I think but all of the 70's, 80's and 90's models are nice. I read somewhere that theres about 60% of them still alive? Don't know if its true but maybe one day I'll have one. They've stood the test of time, not overly complicated and do what a sports car should do.

6. Because the Apple one was obvious - Field Notes

Another thing that's used everyday. I take lists of lists and draw stupid stuff and write down ideas for world domination. None have worked yet. There's other notebooks but I'm not ashamed to say that I'm a fan of the Futura font and kraft paper. The reason I got into these was because I saw a talk that Aaron Draplin done. Thats the guy who came up with the idea for them. It's good marketing. It's a solid product. It does exactly what it's meant to do. I'm a fan.

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I think that what we're looking for in good design is - 1. Something that is simple with no extra, unneeded parts. If it needs it, it needs it, if it doesn't then what's the point? - 2. Something that's durable that can be used in everyday life. It's got stamina for the marathon - 3. Something that's affordable but not so affordable to cheapen the materials or labour needed to complete it - 4. Something that does what it's supposed to do, nothing more, nothing less. It does the job that it was made to do. Just my thoughts on design.

And I've been reading Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance again. Can someone define Quality?