A Netflix reality show, released in 2019, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, was not just a successful and entertaining show but a great learning show. It also had a significant cultural influence upon its release in Western nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom. For anyone who might be wondering what the show is about – the show follows our Japanese instructor Marie Kondo, an organizing consultant, and her interpreter, who visits different families and helps them organize their homes in a better way.
She teaches KonMari Method, a technique of decluttering and organizing she has founded and explained in a detailed manner in her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, published in 2011 and a New York Times Bestseller. The show is a practical experience of the methods explained in theory in the book.
The show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo has only – 8 episodes, each with a run-time from 35 to 47 minutes, focusing on a new family with different experiences and members. In their busy schedules, as their homes have become cluttered, it is shown how it directly or, sometimes, indirectly affects their relations, health, and overall life. Marie Kondo helps each one of them and as well as the viewers understand their spaces and belongings, helping them to change their lifestyle. Let’s dive deeper into the show and the technique, but not as a mere viewer, this time as a designer and an architect.
What is the KonMari Method?
Marie Kondo, a Japanese Organizing consultant, is known for her bestselling book and the Netflix reality show; both focused on her revolutionary yet minimalistic idea of cleaning and organizing by categories, focusing on what sparks joy. She named her method KonMari, a simple combination of her last name and first name.
As explained in Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, the philosophy of KonMari focuses on a simple idea to get rid of items that no longer spark joy or have a purpose, but all with gratitude. In the method, it is highly emphasized as to how belongings should be organized by categories and not location, following a two-part system of first, Discarding and then Organizing.
Throughout the process of decluttering, it provides time to introspect and imagine an ideal lifestyle for one. Following some simple rules, the method is not just about the physical organization but to bring a change in the mindset and lifestyle of the individual.
Know More about KonMari Method: https://konmari.com/what-is-konmari-method/
What Can a Designer Learn from This? | Tidying Up with Marie Kondo
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo is surely a show that anyone can enjoy watching while learning a few tricks and methods to help them alter their own lives. The show, however, also portrays the true meaning and importance of space, especially in one’s home. For a designer and an architect, who design these spaces for the users, it is essential to know how even the smallest of spaces in a home can significantly influence individuals and their daily lives. The families speak of their experiences, how they perceive space, and get affected by it.
While designing houses, individual rooms are not the only important aspect to plan but, in these rooms, storage units, organizational spaces, personal and private areas, all need to be designed properly; all to be done with experiences of users kept in mind. Tidying Up with Marie Kondo also shows how one needs to communicate with space. A home should be a space that sparks joy within its residents, giving them a positive and warm feeling. And this is the most important thing to be followed while designing homes, not just houses.
For a product designer, however, the experiences of the families can shine a different light on everyday life object designs. Learning from how the typical age-old designs that we know may have a different impact in modern times and can be revolutionized according to the needs of today. The show is full of user experiences that can influence the designs of spaces, residences, and objects of daily life; maybe, if studied in detail, the KonMari Method can be a great design philosophy, much more than just an organizing technique.
Why Should You Watch the Show?
If you are a designer, who wants to understand design and its influence on its user, the show can be a perfect and one of the most entertaining ways to do so. And even if you want to watch a light-hearted drama-free show to relax over the weekend then also the show is a perfect choice.
Marie Kondo is a cheerful instructor who is patient with all the families, who want to learn and change their lives. Their learning journey is relatable as we, as a viewer, also learn about Marie Kondo’s ways in each episode. Tidying Up with Marie Kondo will make you look at your own life and house to evaluate if you need to get up from the couch to declutter and reorganize. As a designer, the show might not only spark joy within you but maybe, also an idea.
Where to Watch the Tidying Up with Marie Kondo: Netflix, https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80209379
Watch Trailer Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvyeapVBLWY
Want to read the book first?
Find here: https://www.amazon.in/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/1607747308
References:
- Sengupta, S. (2019). Take-aways from Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. [online]. Available at: https://www.lifestyleasia.com/ind/culture/entertainment/10-takeaways-from-marie-kondo/ [Accessed 15 September 2021].
- Nguyen, H. (2019). The World Loves Marie Kondo, But It Was America That Needed Her. IndieWire. Available at: https://www.indiewire.com/2019/01/marie-kondo-tidying-up-netflix-interview-spark-joy-america-1202036441/ [Accessed 15 September 2021].
- Quito, A. (2019). Marie Kondo’s brilliant interpreter is the unsung hero of the KonMari phenomenon. Quartz. Available at: https://qz.com/quartzy/1527584/marie-kondos-interpreter-is-unsung-hero-of-konmari-phenomenon/ [Accessed 15 September 2021].
- KonMari (n.d.). KonMari Method. Available at: https://konmari.com/ [Accessed 16 September 2021].
- KonMari (n.d.). Why the KonMari Method™ Works. Available at: https://konmari.com/what-is-konmari-method/ [Accessed 16 September 2021].
- Amazon (2014). The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Available at: https://www.amazon.in/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/1607747308 [Accessed 16 September 2021].
- Kaplan, J. (2020). What Is the KonMari Method?. Available at: https://www.thespruce.com/the-konmari-method-4138610 [Accessed 16 September 2021].
- Garrity, A. (2019). What Is the KonMari Method? Here’s How to Declutter the Marie Kondo Way. Available at: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/organizing/a25846191/what-is-the-konmari-method/ [Accessed 16 September 2021].
- Summers, C. (n.d.). 8 Lessons Our Editor Learned from the Decluttering Bible. Available at: https://www.onekingslane.com/live-love-home/marie-kondo-book-declutter/ [Accessed 16 September 2021].
