The spotty ball as a design object

The polka-dot ball remains one of the most enduring symbols of childhood play – but what lies behind its “timelessness”? My initial hypothesis was that the object held a central place in childhood play around the world. I soon realised, however, that neighbouring countries never developed the same attachment to it, which led me to focus instead on its local social background in Hungary. My thesis explores questions such as how the object has remained virtually unchanged since the 1950s, why it is not seen as a retro object, and whether something without a known designer can still be considered a design item. If an object remains in use for seventy years and generations continue to form emotional attachments to it, it is presumably an example of good design.