craightonberman:

Objects, like people, are fetishized when they’re new. New objects are shiny, flawless, alluring. Their perfection draws us in, but their beauty is fleeting. They get dropped, scratched, scuffed, worn. Over time they either get worn-in or worn-out, depending on how they were designed. When objects are designed to age gracefully, they gain character with age. Their patterns of wear expose their history of use. They become familiar. They feel like they belong. We strive to preserve them instead of replace them the moment they show wear.

Wear is inevitable. Wear is real. Wear is authentic. Wear is beautiful.

Electronic objects are particularly bad at aging gracefully, but this is a mantra for every responsible designer. If we project it through our work, then aging is not merely a thing we respect, but a thing we love after youthful lust fades. Design patina into your work.