Larsen Idealog

The art of the useless

When is something so bad it’s good? Some things, over time, become valued because they are so unintentionally, but unmistakably, awful. Movies, furniture, clothing…inventions?

Behold the useless invention. The alarm fork. The instant facelift. The eye protectors for chickens. Toss these in the trash? Start all over again? Nonsense. You may have created an enduring work of art. You may have a chindogu.

If your Japanese is a little rusty, chindogu is a word describing the art of the useless idea. Chindogu has been popular in Japan since the late 1980s, and has gained some traction in the United States, (there’s a Chindogu Society America), but unless you’re a frustrated inventor, don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of it.

The idea is that there is a certain beauty of design in the useless, an allure that attracts you to something that was intentionally created, but never worked. Granted, it’s not a concept that my boss would embrace, but there might be something to it.

You can learn more about chindogu at designboom. But use caution, because the 10 Tenets of Chindogu could change your life forever, causing you to bring up your Cat Saddle from the basement workbench to proudly display on the mantle.