Great design is in the small details

This makes me happy I’d be first to admit that my talents do not include wrapping presents. I’m rubbish at it! My attempts to cut usually end up looking like a proverbial dog’s hind leg. Maybe no more though, because I bought some wrapping paper yesterday which turned out to be the best I’ve ever found.

What was so great about it?

The reverse side of the paper had a grid of lines drawn on the back. It was easy to follow the lines with my scissors and end up with a perfectly cut sheet of paper. Brilliant. The only thing left to do was not screw up the folding…

As Robert Hoekman Jr, author of the superb “Designing the Obvious” would be quick to point out, these lines are an example of a poka-yoke (“mistake proofing”) device. Why point out someone’s mistake when you can prevent it from occurring?

Great design makes your user feel smart and empowered.

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