The fifth dimension of design

Michael Graves once said regarding a men’s suit, “You can buy a lot of cheap ones, or you can buy one great Armani suit.”

He was not just talking about tailoring. He was talking about time, and about the value of design that endures functionally, emotionally, and aesthetically long after the first moment of use. At Michael Graves Design, we have always believed that the best designs are not those that just capture attention for a moment, but those that quietly support you over years, as your life evolves.

As we look toward the future of accessibility, this idea becomes more urgent. The truth is simple: Every body is either disabled, or not currently disabled.

DESIGN THAT LASTS MUST ALSO ADAPT

Accessible design is not a niche strategy. It is a philosophy of foresight. Just as quality design anticipates wear and tear, accessible design anticipates change. Our abilities shift over time: a disease diagnosis, a broken wrist, aging eyesight, a dimly lit room, or the fatigue that comes from multitasking. These are permanent, temporary, and situational disabilities that remind us that accessibility is not for some people, it is for every body, all the time.

When you buy something thoughtfully designed, you are not only purchasing an object for today. You are investing in your future self. A well-placed grab bar or an ergonomically-contoured handle may seem unnecessary now, but design that is inclusive from the start ensures your environment keeps working for you as life evolves. That is not a limitation; that is liberation.

THE BLUE SKY FALLACY

Every designer learns that constraints fuel creativity. The most overlooked constraint is time itself. Great design considers not only how an object is today, but how it ages, how it feels after a decade, and how it fits into new phases of life.

The products that endure—the teakettle you reach for every morning, the cane that becomes an extension of confidence, the accessible bed that becomes invaluable when you are pregnant, recovering from a sports injury or dealing with arthritis—earn their place through empathy and endurance. Like copper developing a natural patina, they do not lose their shine with age; they gain depth, character, and meaning. Time reveals what is truly human in design: the capacity to keep serving, delighting, and belonging.

When we prioritize quality over quantity, we move from consumption to connection. The inexpensive object may fill a need, but the well-designed one creates a relationship. It gathers meaning through use, through memory, and through time.

THE 10-3-1 RULE: DESIGN FOR DISCOVERY

From 10 feet away, a product should make a striking visual impression that draws you in. From three feet away, you begin to notice the finer details that make it beautiful and unique. From one foot away, you experience the tactile qualities—the feel in your hand, the sound of a lid closing, the subtle comfort of balance—that turn interaction into attachment.

This layering of experience also connects design across time. The first impression creates desire. The first touch confirms trust. Over years of use, the subtle discoveries and enhancements continue to reveal themselves, deepening the relationship between product and user.

When we design with this rule, we are not creating for novelty. We are designing for longevity, ensuring that the product continues to surprise and delight in small ways long after it is first used. The more you live with it, the more reasons you find to keep it. That is how great design resists obsolescence and becomes part of your life story.

DESIGN WITH: CREATING FOR THE LONG JOURNEY

Product designers often start with ethnographic research. It means we observe, listen, and collaborate with users to uncover product opportunity gaps that real life exposes. During this process, we create journey maps for all stages of use to ensure that, over time, the product continues to delight and exceed expectations.

This approach turns empathy into strategy. When we design with people, rather than for them, we learn what they reach for first, what they avoid, and what frustrates them as time goes on. Designing with time in mind ensures that function and emotion evolve together. Products should not simply age well; they should grow more meaningful as users do.

FROM TIMELESS STYLE TO SUSTAINABLE EMPATHY

Design that lasts is also sustainable. Durability is the quiet partner of accessibility. When an object is built to last, both physically and emotionally, it reduces waste in materials and in meaning. A timeless product avoids obsolescence not because it resists change, but because it anticipates it.

Michael Graves understood that beauty and practicality are not opposites. They are collaborators. His philosophy, that good design belongs to every body, was not just about cost or availability. It was about longevity. The most democratic design is the one that remains useful and dignified across the entire arc of a person’s life. When we think beyond immediate needs to what those needs might become, we create environments that nurture resilience rather than replacement.

DESIGN AS AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR FUTURE SELF

When you buy an accessibly-designed product, whether a piece of furniture, a bathroom fixture, or a cooking tool, you are not only investing in quality. You are investing in your future independence, comfort, and dignity.

As Michael reminded us, you can buy a lot of cheap ones, or one great Armani suit. The suit, like great accessible design, carries you forward. It becomes part of your story. It fits you today, and it will still fit, both metaphorically and emotionally, when your needs evolve.

The fifth dimension of design is not about style that never changes. It is about care that never expires.

Ben Wintner is CEO of Michael Graves Design.