Henry Petroski gets it. His 1992 book, The Evolution of Useful Things identifies anonymous products that came to be as well-executed as they are, not because of the 'design process', but because they were invented by someone who saw a need, and later corrected by those who found flaws. Designers profess to do this, but in deed, often just take a well-evolved product and add a patentable feature, which they can then label as a 'revolution'. The best-evolved products are minimalist by nature, and beautiful in the stark manner they demonstrate their usefulness.
