ITP Blog

Designing the Absurd

Week 2

Chindogu is a Japanese art movement that involves the invention of "unuseless" gadgets. Chindogu devices are purposefully impractical, humorous creations that are meant to make people think creatively. The word "chindogu" combines the Japanese words for "strange" and "tool."

On the positive side, I think, chindogu encourages innovative thinking and humor. The whimsical nature of chindogu inventions provides amusement and pushes problem solvers to come up with novel solutions. Chindogu artists eschew usefulness and practicality in favor of sparking the imagination. This allows for free brainstorming without constraints. The satirical nature of chindogu pokes fun at overly complex solutions to simple problems.

However, one may argue that chindogu represents inefficient excess and needless consumerism. In a world facing environmental crisis, designing intentionally impractical devices could be seen as frivolous and wasteful. Mass producing whimsical items with no real function misdirects energy and resources. Which is actually where I think rule number five comes to play, which is "Chindogu is not for sale"

But overall my feeling is that chindogu represents a positive spark of creativity. The playful spirit of chindogu encourages new ways of thinking and sometimes even with the freedom of not worrying about the actual usefulness of the thing you're designing. Overall, chindogu provides an interesting glimpse into innovation through the lens of whimsy.