F-91W
What is good design to you?
This question's answer is as subjective as an answer could get. We all have preferences and tastes when it comes to design. Some like minimalist and clean shapes, others like maximalism and extravagance, and others just don't seem to care about it. After two years working as an Industrial Designer, however, it's become clearer to me what good design is, at least when it comes to utilitarian everyday goods:
- It provides a clear, effective solution to a problem (however small that problem may be).
- It doesn't cut corners, always striving to offer the best under a specified price point.
- It is sustainable. I'm not necessarily talking about things made of brand-new biotech circular materials here, but just something that is built to last. After all, the word sustainable means something that sustains time and wear.
Out of almost everything I own, the one extremely well-designed item that always comes to my mind when I think of a solid product is my Casio F-91W digital watch, designed by Ryūsuke Moriai in 1989.
Let's analyze it based on the criteria I proposed.
- Does it provide a clear, effective solution to a problem?
Yes.
Problem: Need to know what time it is. Solution: An LCD screen that is on 24/7 showing the current time. It's not like it came up with the concept of watches or even digital watches, but it shines in its reliability. The F-91W is a watch that takes years to start slowing down and losing accuracy, and when it does, you can simply take it to a repair shop to get the battery swapped or do it yourself at home.
- Does it strive to offer the best under a specified price point?
Yes.
When I became an industrial designer for good, I quickly learned just how idealized design school was. Most of the time our assignments would go all in on the design and human experience side of things, ignoring what is actually the most important variable in the equation: money. Make a good product that's too expensive? Your competitor has something similar and cheaper. The hard truth that designers should come to terms with after leaving the creative bubble of school is that the vast majority of people don't care so much about the elegant design of an object.
If I, for example, need a new toaster, I will do extensive research on what's out there, read product specs, see what they're made of, I might even watch YouTube toaster reviews, and ultimately, I will pick one that I personally resonate with. That's because I'm a materialist. I project feelings onto objects, and I am sad to let them go when the time comes. It's funny, right? The toaster has no feelings towards me, but I do for it. On the other hand, your average buyer will go to Target or Walmart and buy one of the models available based on price and essential features. Maybe they will feel some sort of attraction to one of the models more than the others, but if that comes at an extra $50 cost, they have no problem abandoning those feelings on the shelves.
That was a bit of a detour, but it gives you an idea of what this criterion is about and how it applies to the F-91W. This watch comes at a price point of $19.99 on Amazon as of September 2025, or roughly the cost of a fast-food chain meal in NYC, and for what it offers I think that's a crazy deal. I've had my F-91W for years and it has simply never failed. The time is accurate, it features stopwatch and alarm functions, a small light for when it's dark outside, it's fully waterproof, and the strap is comfortable, easily adjustable, and sturdy.
What I like the most about this watch is that it doesn't try to offer you a million things, but rather, it focuses on the essentials and executes them to a high-quality standard. A lot of times cheap products will offer you many things but fall short in execution because at that price you just can't have it all.
- Is it sustainable?
Yes.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, sustainable means something that sustains time and wear. This watch does so to incredible lengths. The case and strap are made of resin, while the back is made of stainless steel, and it features an LCD screen. The point of sustainable materials is, in a larger picture, to decrease how much we buy and manufacture stuff based on obsolescence — that is, a product that does not fulfill its core function anymore so it has to be replaced.
You can buy new products made of bio-based materials that won't last you long due to their own nature and have them replaced several times, or acquire one item made of durable materials that you will hardly ever need to replace. To be clear, I am very much in favor of the development of new environmentally beneficial materials, but I believe we need to be able to distinguish when they are purposeful for the end function of a product vs. simply trendy/looks cool.
While the Casio F-91W may not be the most easily recyclable product out there, it's a product that wasn't made for that in the first place. It was made to last a lifetime, and I'm sure mine will.