Utopian Design: Simply Forked

Design in society that is Utopian because it aims to improve society is universal because designers are (mostly) trying to create something that will help improve society.  That way, their product will always be in demand.  Even now, there are everyday objects that had to have been designed by someone to make life easier.  Who would think to look in the kitchen drawers and look at our eating utensils?

Credit to Google Images


The fork has a long history in western culture and society.  Though the idea of spearing our food has been around since the spear, we haven't had a set of prongs to use to stab our food until the 10th century.  It had started to become popular in Italy and also became something of a delicacy over the years: only the rich had and used these utensils.  Over the years, they've evolved in number of prongs, size, and shape.  The curved shape we see today was developed in the 18th century by Germany.  And in the 20th century, the spork was invented.
What many people don't realize is that the fork was designed in order to make eating food an easier task for humans.  If it weren't for the invention of the fork, we may have only had spoons, knives, and chopsticks (though it's an interesting concept: would there have been other utensils created if the fork was never invented?).  Therefore, the fork is a form of Utopian design in that it has provided a convenience for people and, in that way, has improved society.