Products that made me happy in 2022

Let's talk about nice things

You might not know it if you’re reading these posts without knowing my background, but I’m a designer. I’ve been the CEO of a design agency for 11 years and I’m deeply, darkly obsessed with how things are made.

I’m constantly on the lookout for products that make me feel joy to use them, and here’s a list of the products that have made me feel happy in 2022. The list is in no particular order.

Please note, I’m not picking products that were created in 2022 here, just ones I’ve been using and loving. I’m also not going to link to any of these products to avoid people thinking I have some affiliate deal with these companies.

Felt + Fat Coffee Mug

This is the best cup I’ve ever held in my hand. The texture, weight, balance and aesthetics are all perfect. It feels like picking up a beautifully smooth beach stone rather than a cup and the colour options (I have a pastel green) look amazing in real life

Here’s a pic of the cups in use at my place… come on. So so aesthetically pleasing. (My cup is the dirtier of the two).

.Goddamn, get yourself one of these cups and make every morning coffee a joy.

Felt + Fat Coffee Mug Design Breakdown:

• Build Quality: 10

• Visual appeal: 10

• Hand feel: 10

• Usability: 10

Moccamaster Select (in yellow pepper)

Having a simple drip coffee machine at home is essential, but they mostly look like crap. The Moccamaster is gorgeous though, and it’s one of the best drip coffee makers on the market! It’s a piece that people notice and point out when they come into my apartment rather than it being forgettable or an eyesore.

It isn’t perfect though, the build quality could be improved (there are some loose bits) and there could be some simple usability improvements… namely the machine warning you if you’ve forgotten to put the jug correctly in place so the coffee doesn’t explode everywhere…

But who am I kidding, can I really be mad at something this beautiful?

Moccamaster Design Breakdown:

• Build Quality: 8

• Visual appeal: 10

• Hand feel: 8

• Usability: 7

Zara Home

Where has Zara Home been all my life? When you want a big quality and design jump up from Ikea but don’t want to spend 20k on a bedside table Zara Home is the perfect “medium-end” option.

It’s not too crazy, it’s not too boring, and it’s really just right when it comes to decorating your apartment in cosy, non-offensive but beautiful pieces that are a delight to touch and look at.

Zara Home also does an amazing job at curating its collections down to a number of items small enough to really have an overview (unlike most furniture places) and everything just fits together perfectly!

I fucking love Zara Home.

Stuff from Zara Home

• Build Quality: 9

• Visual appeal: 9

• Hand feel: 9

• Usability: 9

Susanne Kaufman Invigorating Night Cream

My face gets dry.

My face needs to be moisturised.

I’ve tried all the ones people recommend at all price ranges.

This one is the best.

Honestly, I don’t know what Susanne is up to over there in her cream lab but this shit is unbelievable! It feels so thick and luxurious, I’ve never felt anything like it. It smells like the nicest cheesecake you’ve ever eaten and it leaves my skin glowing. I honestly can’t wait to put this on my face every night.

The only thing I don’t love is that they changed the previously black screw-on top to a less attractive, cheaper-looking white one.

If your face gets dry, try this out!

Susanne’s face cream (talking about the cream itself, not the packaging)

• Luxuriousness: 10

• GLOW appeal: 10

• FACE feel: 10

• SMELLABILITY: 11

Vitsoe 606 Shelving System by Dieter Rams

Look, Dieter Rams is one of the greatest designers of all time. His products are the influence for pretty much all of Jony Ive’s Apple designs and he’s a goddamn legend. Seriously, look at these comparisons of Dieter and Jony’s designs:

Apple’s products are basically a flipping homage to the legend.

Did I mention that Dieter also invented the super famous guidelines that every designer (including me) learns in Design School??? CAN WE TALK MORE ABOUT DIETER PLS.

So anyway he designed this shelving system and it’s all over my office in Berlin and I love it. The end. Honestly the only annoying part about it, the ONLY thing that bugs me is how hard it is to adjust the desk height, it’s not even worth trying tbh.

606 Shelving System

• Dieter Quality: 10

• Visual Dieter: 10

• Dieter Hand feel: 10

• Adjusting the desk bit: 10 (I don’t want Dieter to see me complaining).

• Amount of Susanne’s Cream residue on the shelves: 10

That’s it friends! I hope you enjoy some of these products or things as much as I do. I honestly believe being surrounded by beauty makes me more productive, and happier and… there’s actually no third thing. Bye.

Cheers,
Jonathan

P.S. What products made you happy in 2022?