International Design Day has been celebrated since 1995 and commemorates the founding of the International Design Council on April 27, 1963. We interact with what surrounds us through designed constructions. Clothes, appliances, transportation, user interfaces, the landscape, the city, and of course the chair you may be sitting in right now have all been designed by a designer.
Designers follow a set of guiding principles and philosophies, such as "more with less" or "user-centered." These are sometimes considered more, sometimes less, but one central principle is considered almost universal. Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus movement, called it the "truth to materials." The underlying idea is that design should not lie. Neither in its appearance nor in its promises. If it looks high-quality, it should be high-quality. If it looks sturdy, it should be durable. Or more specifically, if it looks like leather, it should be real leather and have its inimitable qualities.
