Featured in the Commercial Interiors UK Directory 2026, Jasper explores enduring design through two iconic objects.

Featured in the Commercial Interiors UK Directory 2026, Jasper Sanders outlines a compelling article offering a fresh perspective on contemporary design culture and the principles that underpin enduring quality.

In the piece, Sanders contrasts two iconic objects to explore a subtle but pervasive tension in design today.

The iPhone, celebrated for its elegance and technological intelligence, also exposes the fragility of much contemporary design, where visual perfection often outweighs durability. Its reliance on protective cases and short-lived lifespans points to a broader culture of disposability, raising questions about the environmental and human costs of “premium” design.

By contrast, the Burberry trench coat exemplifies lasting design intelligence, where resilience, functionality and elegance coexist seamlessly. Sanders highlights how careful detailing, material integrity, and adaptability allow the coat to meet human needs, weather time and context, and even gain character through use.

Sanders frames excellence as disciplined, thoughtful, and human-centred.

True design, he suggests, is quiet but profound: it balances beauty with endurance, serves real needs, and shapes culture sustainably, offering a persuasive critique of trend-led approaches while celebrating the subtle brilliance of objects that endure.