First Encounters With Design

The Brain Ball.

This peculiar, oblong, orange "ball" may not have single handedly defined my childhood, but it sure left an imprint.  The ball itself doesn't actually connect me to any exact memories yet there is something in the appearance and feel of it, the design of it, that links me ever so concretely to my childhood. Even now, when I pick up the anatomical toy and feel its peculiar contours I am overcome with that familiar and wonderful sense of nostalgia.

I remember thinking it was the most unusual and amazing toy I had ever seen. Even the packaging, a tall plastic cylinder, amazed me; it resembled something out of a sci-fi movie. As soon as I reached in to pull the ball out, I was met with the soft, familiar, feeling of Nerf. The Nerf material in general is a very thoughtful design; firm enough to hold the shape of a any ball (or even brain), yet soft enough to be played with indoors and around smaller children. As familiar as the Nerf feel was, nothing else about the Brain Ball seemed normal to me. Although I had never seen a brain in person, I was pretty sure they weren't neon orange; that color didn't scare me away though, it invited me closer because I, and every other child of the 90's knew orange meant Nickelodeon, and Nickelodeon meant fun.

Obviously, the most memorable aspect of the design of this ball is that it looks like a brain. Although it may seem random or odd, this design was and continues to be, extremely successful in my eyes. As a child, it evoked a sense of mystery and wonder. It made me think about brains and humans and thoughts. And yet its design still allowed for the simplest of uses: play. I still use it for play now, and although it doesn't seem quite as mysterious, it does have the mysterious power to make me a child again, if only for a fraction of a second.

I think that's where the true beauty of design comes from; it has the ability to grab hold of our senses and transport us somewhere completely outside ourselves, be it a dress that evokes the fashion and romance of Paris or a strange toy that reminds us of the adventure and wonder of youth.



Photo credit: http://gizmodo.com/5588886/nerf-gallery/gallery/3