Home / Series / Design Theory / Aired Order / Season 2024 / Episode 2

Why Some Designs Are Impossible to Improve: Quintessence

Some designs don’t change much. The paperclip, the Bic pen, the QWERTY keyboard layout, and even the PlayStation controller. Decades and sometimes even centuries pass, but these designs barely change at all. They’re quintessential. Why do some designs last for decades, while other seemingly better alternatives never catch on?

English
  • Originally Aired April 26, 2024
  • Runtime 33 minutes
  • Created September 18, 2026 by
    schuss
  • Modified September 18, 2026 by
    schuss