Design for the real world
by Victor Papanek · first published 1971
15mentions
10recommended by
13HN commenters
2010–2026first – last mentioned
77% recommend23% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Foundational critique of design that starts from human needs, not marketing. Readers value its ideas on honest materials and socially responsible technology. Suits designers and engineers wanting a broader view.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2008–2026Mindstorms
Seymour Papert
Recommended by 89 · mentioned by 12489 recommend · 124 mention89 recommend · 12489 recommend
2007–2026Gödel, Escher, Bach
Douglas R. Hofstadter
Recommended by 505 · mentioned by 1,055505 recommend · 1,055 mention505 recommend · 1,055505 recommend
2011–2026Thinking, fast and slow
Daniel Kahneman
Recommended by 373 · mentioned by 879373 recommend · 879 mention373 recommend · 879373 recommend
In the context of this article, I want to recommend Design For The Real World by Victor Papanek. Many of the ideas mentioned here have been made popular by Papanek decades ago.
on “Heirloom Technology” ↗…can't get them as an ebook. There is still a stupid about of immensely useful content out there that you cannot get in ebook format. For example I'm currently finishing up a re-read of Victor Papanek's "Design for the Real World". Which you cannot get as an ebook. That said — my default for fiction/reference purchases tends to be ebooks now. With occasional upgrades to paper books if they're something I really liked and I can…
on “Ask HN: Do you still purchase physical books?” ↗Design for the real world by Victor Papanek. It was recommend reading for my design & technology GCSE course and it had a profound affect on the way I thought about design, form, function and just the holistic way in which we…
on “Ask HN: Most influential books you read growing up” ↗…led design processes don't solve humanity's problems particularly well. For anyone who would like ideas on how to get technology to do a better job of following needs, I'd strongly recommend the book 'Design For The Real World' by Victor Papeneck - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/190560.Design_for_the_Re...
on “Sundar Pichai: ‘Technology Doesn’t Solve Humanity’s Problems’” ↗Anyone who appreciates Buckminster Fuller should have a read of Victor Papanek. His book 'Design For The Real World' is exceptionally good. - http://playpen.icomtek.csir.co.za/~acdc/education/Dr_Anvind_...
on “42 Hours of Buckminster Fuller might be just the vision we need” ↗Papanek's 'Design for the Real World' might be good inspiration for you. Here is the pdf - http://playpen.icomtek.csir.co.za/~acdc/education/Dr_Anvind_... - however I'd strongly recommend getting yourself a dead-tree copy of it. As for…
on “Ask HN: What are problems that enterprising college students could solve?” ↗…about using a swiss army knife to kill warts. (it works, sometimes: if you irritate a wart enough you can switch on the body's defensive network. Thats why the aspirin cream method works) Victor Papanek "Design for the real world" is in many ways, better. Less entertaining, less anarchic, but I used some of the ideas to get furniture made over 25 years ago I still use (the plywood single-cut slotted shelves which stack) Or Eric…
on “The Whole Code Catalog (2019)” ↗I'm a huge fan of the book "Design for the Real World" by Victor Papanek. One of the things that he talked about is the importance of using materials honestly: not trying to pass plastic off as wood, using the given material to it's best ability (even if…
on “The Windows 95 User Interface: A Case Study in Usability Engineering” ↗Victor Papanek's Design for the Real World [0] is a foundational text in the area of Appropriate Technology (cited here by others). Essential reading alongside the Illich (also linked by others), Pye's Nature and Art of Workmanship [1], and Winner's…
on “Open Source Low Tech” ↗For example, in my case I got interested in: - Design when I read “The Design of Everyday Things” and “Design for the Real World” - Cognitive psychology when I read “Thinking Fast and Slow” - Computers & Education when I read “Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas” Would love to know about the books that got you…
on “Ask HN: What books got you curious and inspired about fields other than CS?” ↗For example, in my case I got interested in: - Design when I read “The Design of Everyday Things” and “Design for the Real World” - Cognitive psychology when I read “Thinking Fast and Slow” - Computers & Education when I read “Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas” Would love to know about the books that got you…
on “What books got you curious and inspired about fields other than CS?” ↗Always go back to the classics * The Design of Everyday Things * Design for the Real World * A Pattern Language * Notes on the Synthesis of Form * Never Leave Well Enough Alone * Don't Make Me Think * How Things Don't Work * Usable Usability * The Visual Display of Quantitative Information *…
on “Ask HN: What are the best resources to learn Product Design?” ↗I think the first occurrence is in "Design for the Real World"s preface (Victor Papanek, 1971): ... And possibly only one profession is phonier. Advertising design, in persuading people to buy things they don’t need, with money they don’t have, in order to impress…
on “To truly become rich, you need to stop acting like it” ↗This reminds me of Victor Papanek's Design for the Real World.
on “Cheap and simple medical devices have to overcome deeply rooted biases” ↗…non-directional. This means that it receives all stations simultaneously. But in emerging countries, this is of no importance: only one broadcast (carried by relay towers 50 miles apart) is carried." Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change ©1971 pg. 162 https://archive.org/details/designforrealwor0000papa/page/16...
on “Folk Interfaces” ↗