At a dizzying pace, new technologies are constantly being employed to produce further developed and therefore better products. Existing ones quietly also disappear from the market. In the same way that people become older, so too do the things they design. Yet how does design age? When comparing the age levels of humans with that of designed objects, many analogies become apparent, despite clearly diverging life expectancies. The perpetual rivalry for product improvements and marginal innovations only leads to an apparent diversity. Products that are not permitted to differ too much from their equivalents merely set in motion a spiral of continuous minor further developments that results in their ostensible uniformity. As a consequence, the age of designed objects becomes discernible only in terms of their details. Conversely, people are also trying to protect themselves against ageing processes by all means possible, which makes it progressively more difficult to recognise the natural signs of ageing.

Design as the interface between man and technology should once again bring about strikingly different product innovations. It should do so by orienting itself more towards the slower changing everyday needs. This generates harmonious synchronicity, which is presently derailed by highly paced, purely technologically driven advancements. The forthcoming global challenges can be exploited by design through the skilful merging of the latest with the tried-and-tested. Rather than just taking small steps, design can also make impressive leaps.