Designs for a happy life

Toasters, clock-radios, vacuum cleaners - everyday devices, found in everyday homes. So how do manufacturers make us buy more of what we already have? By getting product designers to think harder about how we use things, and designing products for couples, not just individuals.

Toasters, cutlery, a food mixer - such were the staples of traditional wedding present lists. Now, though, two-thirds of couples would rather have cash or gift vouchers, according to recent survey.

The main difference between wedding gifts and other gifts is that they are aimed at you-plural - the joyous couple - rather than at you-singular.

With today's complex gadgetry, a key role of the designer doing this is designing the behaviour of the things so that they do what you expect and want of them. It is called "interaction design" or "usability" and it is about making the user's life easier by making things easier to use. (Via BBC NEWS)