Detail
Author Dan Harfield
Detail is where intention becomes visible. It’s in the small, unexpected moments that delight lives: a satisfying click, a perfectly aligned seam, a texture that feels right under your fingertips.
This month, I’ve been exploring how precision and care manifest across product categories.
Here are four projects that stood out to me…
TYPE 3 MN
The TYPE 3 MN shows how much delight can live in intricacy. The complexity of the display carries through the form, the material transitions and the interaction points. The yellow accents guide the eye through the composition and create a clear visual hierarchy across the dial.
The beauty of this piece lies in its obsessive attention to detail, where engineering decisions become part of the visual language.
Audi Concept C
Audi’s Concept C feels confident and considered. I love the minimalism of the details, the control of the split lines, and the micro decisions that scream performance luxury. Drawing inspiration from the Auto Union Type C (1936) and the third-generation A6’s Single Frame (2004), it connects heritage with contemporary design language.
Audi are on a hot streak with their recent design releases and this one shows how thoughtful detail work can carry both history and future direction in a single form.
Frida for Pedrali
I’ve always loved seeing joinery expressed rather than hidden, and the Frida chair remains a classic example for that reason. From the intersections to the grain alignment and plywood forming, the refined detailing feels thoughtful and honest.
It balances advanced manufacturing with a calm, human presence that suits both private spaces and public settings.
Fairbuds
Fairphone’s attention to detail goes beyond physical execution into lifecycle thinking. The form language, material transitions and interaction points feel resolved and humane, while repairability and end-of-life considerations sit within the same design logic.
This is detail as responsibility, translated into product architecture and touchpoints that feel genuinely considered.
