Summary

The author reflects on their experience living in Denmark, highlighting the country's design-centric approach to creating a society that prioritizes the well-being and happiness of its citizens through thoughtful urban planning, architecture, and technology.

Abstract

The article "Happiness by Design" delves into the author's observations during a year spent in Denmark, a country renowned for its high quality of life and happiness. The author notes that Denmark's happiness is not just metaphorical but also literal, with its design philosophy permeating every aspect of life, from the prevalence of Arne Jacobson chairs at the airport to the thoughtful architecture of public spaces. The country's commitment to livability is evident in small details like automatic entry doors in residential buildings, contrasting sharply with the author's post-Denmark experience in Los Angeles, where even a new Starbucks lacked basic usability features. The author is particularly impressed by Denmark's minimalist design aesthetic, which extends to emergency rooms and public buildings, creating environments that uplift rather than merely serve functional needs. The infrastructure for cyclists, with dedicated bike roads and traffic rules, promotes both physical health and mental relaxation. Denmark's move towards a paperless society, with digital payments and minimal bureaucracy, further exemplifies its efficient and thoughtful approach to daily life. The use of innovative technology, from app-operated services to centralized medical records, enhances the ease of living. The author concludes that Denmark's societal design, which emphasizes efficiency and beauty, leads to less stress and more time for enjoyment, suggesting that America could learn from Denmark's example to improve its own citizens' quality of life.

Opinions

The author believes that Denmark's design philosophy, which prioritizes the happiness and well-being of its citizens, is a key factor in the country's high quality of life.
There is a stark contrast between Denmark's thoughtful design and usability considerations and those in the United States, particularly in public spaces and services.
The author suggests that American companies and policymakers could benefit from adopting Danish-style design and technology solutions to enhance daily life for U.S. citizens.
Denmark's approach to cycling infrastructure, with bike roads instead of mere lanes, is seen as a model for promoting health and reducing stress.
The author appreciates Denmark's paperless society and the efficiency gains from reduced reliance on physical documents and transactions.
The use of technology in Denmark is viewed as a means to simplify life and free up time for more meaningful activities, rather than as a job-stealing threat.
The author argues that the U.S. could reallocate resources to create more meaningful jobs if it were to embrace some of Denmark's societal designs and technological advancements.
Overall, the author is of the opinion that when a society is designed with its citizens in mind, it leads to a healthier, happier, and more engaged populace.

Happiness by Design

What’s it like to live in a society designed for its people, literally

Apartment building in Denmark. Photo by Thomas Pehamon Unsplash

What’s it like to live in a society literally and metaphorically designed for its people?

I had a chance to find out while spending a year in Denmark. The tiny unassuming country prides itself on its unprecedented life-work balance, true gender equality, the generous welfare state, and being voted the “second happiest country on Earth.”

As a visitor, I couldn’t get a taste of shorter working hours or welfare support but I still experienced a society that seemed to be built, literally, for its people.

Denmark’s obsession with interior design is obvious to a naked eye: it’s everywhere, from the airport equipped with famous Arne Jacobson chairs to the many design stores of Copenhagen, and from cozy offices to immaculate homes, seen through the never-covered windows.

Yet the so-called “livability” design is less obvious: it can be seen in the way the city, and the country, are set up and how it accommodates its citizens. The small thoughtful details of everyday life are what struck me in Denmark.

It’s as if they really cared for the lives of their people, I thought.

Open doors for everyone

One of my favorite things in Copenhagen was that in many residential buildings entry doors sprung wide open with a press of a button or a turn of the key. Even the most modest of buildings had such entrances.

A tiny detail, it still made me feel cared for every time I rolled my bike through my front door.

Recently, I was shocked to discover that a brand-new and generously-sized Starbucks in my neighborhood in Los Angeles didn’t have any buttons to open its (very heavy) doors. Not even by the handicap entrance in the back. I struggled to get in and out with a stroller, often relying on the kindness of strangers to help me.

After living in Denmark, I was surprised at how little thought was given to usability even by such a prosperous company in America. Then, I started to notice it all around me. It’s as if no one cared, I realized.

Sadly, what Danes invented just to make life simpler, American companies would have to be forced to implement by lawmakers (i.e. handciap entrances).

Beautiful design and architecture

Is it possible that world-famous minimalistic Danish design, with its clean lines, natural materials, muted colors, and unprecedented use of lighting, as well as their thoughtful modern architecture, make the whole nation feel happier? Without a doubt.

When visiting an emergency room in Copenhagen, I was blown away by how beautiful it was. I stopped to take it all in and asked my then-boyfriend: “Is this really just a hospital?” He nodded, only half-appreciating what he saw. It was nearly impossible to be frustrated in a place like that. After all, so much care was put into the facility.

I had a similar experience in many of Denmark’s public places. From schools to banks, the spaces were used creatively and in a way that inspired and uplifted its visitors.

On a smaller scale, too, Denmark was full of beautiful objects, designed to please those interacting with them, not just satisfy a functional need. Colors, shapes, and forms were used wisely and sparingly.

It’s no doubt that a society so thoughtfully designed in every way is a happier one.

Since my stay in Denmark, I noticed that, in America, many places rarely go beyond functionality. My (Danish) now-husband jokes about the American approach to every-day design and calls it: “It works.”

I hope that someday we too will lift ourselves above utilitarian ideas and learn to use esthetics to improve our daily lives.

Bike roads, not lanes

Surely, many U.S. cities have created bike lanes in recent years. Yet I was always reluctant to use them since cars here don’t have any respect for bicyclists.

In Copenhagen, I was pleased to discover a true urban cyclist’s paradise — bike roads. Those are paved lanes, separated from the main road by at least a curb, but often a parking lane, and running through almost every city street. They come with their own miniature traffic lights and a strict set of cycling rules (often enforced by the police).

City biking doesn’t get any easier, and safer, than in Copenhagen. As a result, almost 50% of its citizens commute by bicycle. Surely, the city planners could have stopped at bike lanes but they didn’t. Again, it’s as if they actually cared.

I’ve never been more fit and relaxed on my bike than I was in Denmark.

No wonder this seemingly unnecessary design feature significantly attributes to the overall physical and mental well-being of Danes.

Paper-less society

Paper is not very popular in Denmark. The country has gotten rid of almost all mail, let alone junk mail, a long time ago. Cash is pretty much a thing of the past, as it should be. Most payments are made via a phone or at least a contactless card. No checks, coins, chips, pins, stripes, or signatures required, ever. Even legal contracts are down to a bare minimum: a page at most.

Millions of useless transactions are eliminated, which makes for more time to simply enjoy life.

This is not an accident, but a result of thoughtful planning combined with common sense.

I’m sure many people in the U.S. would say they don’t enjoy receiving junk mail, automated phone calls, or having to mail in paper checks or money orders either. It’s a waste of their time that could be spent doing something they love.

Yet change is painfully slow in America and there are always too many bigger problems to deal with.

Innovative technology

Going about your day in Denmark is made even easier by their innovative and inspiring use of technology.

My local tanning salon was operated entirely by an app. My no-thrills supermarket had an option of using your phone to scan and pay for your groceries, to avoid waiting in line. The amazingly easy-to-use metro system had driverless trains. And even street performers accepted contactless payments.

For Danish citizens things were even more simplified, with so-called Yellow Cards assigned to each of them, allowing easy access to many buildings and services, along with a centralized identity phone app used for storing personal data and quick access to online services. Medical records were centralized too. It seemed like there was a technological solution for just about everything in Denmark, making day-to-day lives less complicated.

If I could sum up the country in one word, it would be: “efficiency.”

And with efficiency, comes less stress and more time to enjoy yourself.

In America, we like to complain that technology steals jobs but I’ll argue that those jobs could be substituted with other, more meaningful, ones. For example, instead of making unsolicited phone calls about expired warranty claims, one could be providing long-distance mental health support, if more of those positions were created.

When the distribution of resources and priorities is done right, technology won’t be a threat to society’s well-being.

Of course, Denmark is a small country with relatively small problems, but Danish solutions to life are so simple and yet impactful they’re hard to ignore.

When a society is designed to work for its citizens, its citizens are not only happier and healthier but are more willing to give back. And that is a healthy circle of life.