Give it some proper thought. The mechanics, the mechanism, the shell, the wiring etc.

Now go deeper. Not just ‘buy wire’ and ‘source plastic’ but, make wire, make plastic. Where do you start?

Give it some more thought, then check out The Toaster Project by Thomas Thwaites. Because it’s bloody brilliant.

But more than that, I think it’s important. I’ve know about it for years and my mind returns to it constantly. Usually from a economical and philosophical perspective, but it’s hit me that it’s also important for designers to consider.

When we design we’re building on loooooads of existing frameworks and systems. Far more than some brand or UI design system. I’m talking about the internet. Cloud services. The postal service. Even the applications and platforms we use to design with.

I’m not sure why this has come back to my mind, yet again, but I’m adamant it’s important.

There’s something in this metaphor that the current culture of constantly redesigning processes and refining principles is missing. Like we’re spending time discussing toaster dial knobs, and toasters user need discovery projects, without stepping back and seeing the bigger history and systems that are already in place.

We need toast. What Thomas has done should show us how not to go about making it.