I couldn't agree more. The best design should solve a problem, and nothing else. As simple as possible but not simpler. The brief of a sawhorse I reckon is like this:
I would say the original sawhorse was designed to kneel on the piece you were sawing. This design is different, it's for dimensioning sheet materials. A job for which actual sawhorses are badly suited. This design should probably be called something else, a sheet sawhorse, or something!
So the brief is the same, but the work method is different, so 'comfortable' isn't knee height anymore, it's more like bench height to use a plunge saw, router or whatever. Also, for this design, being made from one sheet defines it.
Like you say, when a design is, not perfected, but reaches a tipping point of improvement, it becomes necessary - then common - and then invisible in it's ubiquity. Like a door, or a kitchen chair, or a coat hook. Not that the sore hoarse is headed for MoMa or anything, but it's really useful, really simple and a few iterations of design might improve it slightly. It's fun to nerd out on it a bit. now back to work.
- flat surface to dimension wood
stable
cheap
portable
comfortable
I would say the original sawhorse was designed to kneel on the piece you were sawing. This design is different, it's for dimensioning sheet materials. A job for which actual sawhorses are badly suited. This design should probably be called something else, a sheet sawhorse, or something!
So the brief is the same, but the work method is different, so 'comfortable' isn't knee height anymore, it's more like bench height to use a plunge saw, router or whatever. Also, for this design, being made from one sheet defines it.
Like you say, when a design is, not perfected, but reaches a tipping point of improvement, it becomes necessary - then common - and then invisible in it's ubiquity. Like a door, or a kitchen chair, or a coat hook. Not that the sore hoarse is headed for MoMa or anything, but it's really useful, really simple and a few iterations of design might improve it slightly. It's fun to nerd out on it a bit. now back to work.