Design, Meaning, and People

To me, I believe products get their design and meaning by their function and their usage. Whether products are created for ergonomics, ease, aesthetics or pleasure, they are created to help people with different problems. Even though some people might think a certain product might be useless and unattractive, it is still a design that has some meaning in it. I believe that every product has a design to serve its purpose. Not everyone in the whole world will like or accept a product’s design, but as long as it serves its purpose and meaning, I think it is a design we should consider and acknowledge for the future.

As a designer, I have come to realize that although how hard I try to create a design to fit everyone’s standards, I will never be able to satisfy them all. I realized and accepted the fact that designs will always have good or bad reviews because everyone in the world thinks differently. However, if a product is designed to serve a purpose that can solve a problem or an issue then I think it is something that people will just have to accept because it will help some people in the world.

The vibrator was socially and morally unaccepted to some people because some people believe that vibrators were inappropriate. Although, in the past, it was created for medical uses and to reduce “workloads” for doctors, people found that it can also be used for women pleasure. It became popular to women because it also allowed women to feel better and relieve stress. However, after the vibrator has become popular in the world, the downside to this design is that it promoted many X-rated movies and personal issues to the world. I have read an article about vibrators saying that it created a positive and negative side for people who think about the usage of vibrators. The negative side wanted to abandon vibrators to eliminate X-rated movies and the positive side wanted to keep it for their pleasure. When I ponder upon this issue, I think about, “How could a design create an issue so extreme like this?” It made me visualize the seriousness of how designs can affect people to think differently about each other.

Nowadays, the images of vibrators have changed completely from the past due to its different designs and functions. I agree with some people that it is embarrassing to mention and to have, but I understand its purpose. I noticed that people think differently due to their religious beliefs because I also come from a Christian family. Religion restricts people to act and think in certain ways, which is why I understand how some people think vibrators are a tool for guilty pleasures.


Designs will always get criticized by their appearances and function, but they are only designed to serve its purpose more efficiently and easier. Not all people might like the purpose and appearance of the design, but as long as the design solves the problem it is issued then I think there is a meaning in that design.