I see why he didn’t think that this was your point in the original post 
But I agree with both of you that accessibility is wonderful in all walks of life.
Yeah, I think it’s great that a talented kid can make an amazing record in their bedroom on a laptop, or that an amateur photographer can shoot a picture on a smartphone that ends up in National Geographic, or that someone who waits tables at a restaurant can freelance as a designer… But then you have Teenage Engineering “designing” this ridiculously expensive plywood table – is laughable!
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From the Desk page:
field desk is part of our field rail system. it’s an open-ended range of interconnecting aluminum rails that enable the creation of customizable modular furniture and accessories. made from 75% recycled CIRCAL aluminum from scandinavian manufacturer Hydro.
Aluminum production and recycling is an energy intensive. If you have access to cheap power, such as hydroelectric, then one of the ways you can monetize excess energy is to manufacture aluminum. This is almost certainly a more socially responsible strategy than crypto mining. It seems likely that Hydro and TE are working together on this project to draw attention to Hydro’s aluminum products and TE’s design prowess.
If so, then the Field Desk should probably be seen more as a desk-shaped art object than an actually functional desk. While a desk with a 75 kg maximum may seem less than functional, the coherent system of components that TE has designed may demonstrate the ability to design for industrial applications. One such example is high speed rail: early HSR cars were made of steel. Aluminum is much more expensive than steel, but the greater strength to weight ratio results in lighter axel loadings, which can enable a higher volume of traffic or reduced maintenance.
No hate toward TE. Having family and friends in advertising and marketing I get that at certain levels some design companies (and tech and fashion houses) market things for the purposes of making a splash and not to keep the company afloat by folk actually buying that stuff.**
TE often has its tongue firmly embedded in its cheek. That table is expected to get wise ass comments, and some pearl clutching.
If they don’t have a sense of humor about what they do (and they clearly have a wicked sense of humor) then they are in the wrong business.
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If you are going to the fields and you’re not about to mess up your 1,6K design desk - here’s the alternative to go:
Tactical Field Office M
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I feel seen.
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