INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS: part seams matter

A horizontal seam across a product face shows every bit of misalignment. A vertical seam parallel to the sides hides the same tolerance stack. This isn't about better manufacturing, it's about directing attention.

Apple's Magic Keyboard has a part seam on the underside, where the top and bottom shells meet, where your hands never go and your eyes rarely look. The visible surfaces are uninterrupted aluminum.

When you can't eliminate a seam, rotate it so misalignment reads as shadow variation instead of a step.

Vertical seams on cylindrical products disappear. Horizontal seams on flat surfaces announce themselves.

The decision should be, if you can control it, move the seam to a secondary surface and place it where it won't register visually. If it has to be on a primary surface, make it intentional and control it obsessively.

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