Belly Tanker Beausage

I love this photo detail from Bobby Greene's "Aircraft latches and you" post from his wonderful blog Automotive Addictions and General Tomfoolery.  It's a blog about his very gnarly belly tanker speed racer.  It's an ode to gearhead gnarlyness, authenticity, and just plain doing stuff.  I love it.

I also dig the photo because it's a great example of beausage, the beauty which comes with use.  All those scratches, dents, and subtle surface deformations couldn't be designed.  They come from being out in the world, and they're beautiful in a very organic way.

Congratulations to Bobby for getting the tanker up and running -- and running WFO, no less! -- again.

Cool.

Comments

[David Armano]

Great photo Diego. Actually, this is the first time I've heard the term Beausage used. I like it. Reminds me of a term floating around the marketing world called Brand Utility—a simple way of referencing a useful interaction with a brand.

I've got some dings and scratches on my motorbike and it was painful to see the perfection decline, but this makes me think twice about that...

[Roger von Oech]

Hi Diego,

I really enjoy your blog. I've only been a regular visitor since early September, but in the last three months I've learned about such things as Bill Moggridge's "Designing Interactions" site (quite valuable), innovation metrics, the Ted Prize Winners, Firefox crop circles, and of course, "Unabashed Gearhead Gnarlyness."

Metacool is a wonderful window into the world of professional designers. I appreciate your efforts, insights, and general "take" on stuff.

Best wishes to you and your many readers!

[Kare Anderson]

Extending the "lesson" in the book, Velveteen Rabbit, perhaps "beausage" can be used to describe certain people who have grown into their own over time.
- another lurking fan of your blog, finally speaking up to say so
Kare, SavvyHer

[Diego Rodriguez]

Thank you all for the kind thoughts and interesting comments.

I love the Velveteen Rabbit connection. Perhaps that's the challenge of life as an adult, finding a way to make the "usage" of life make one more interesting to the world, and interested in the world, instead of the opposite.