Joshua Porter of Bokardo has written a small piece on The Shaker Design Philosophy which is based on the idea of

Don’t make something unless it is both necessary and useful; but if it is both necessary and useful, don’t hesitate to make it beautiful.

Joshua goes on to point out that

The Shaker philosophy has led to an amazing array of designs. The Shakers invented, among other things, the circular saw, the washing machine, and the flat broom. They are also well-known for their simple, durable furniture.

A number of links about Shaker design are included in the post. Of particular interest is Michael D. Levi’s article A Shaker Approach to Web Site Design

Porter’s post provoked me to poke about the net a bit more and see what else was available online on this topic. Here are a few links to articles and exhibitions about this area of design that i turned up.

Shaker Crafts from the Index of American Design an online exhibit from the National Gallery of Art.

Out of This World: Shaker Design Past, Present, and Future and exhibition at the Shelburne Museum

The Shaker Museum and Library aims to “preserve and interpret the Shaker legacy for generations to come. The important artifacts that the Shakers made available to the Shaker Museum and Library reflect the role they expected the institution to play in the preservation of their history.” The site has a small range of images of shaker objects from the collection

When the Bauhaus met the Shakers by Susan Jackson Keig

The Shaker Legacy, by Christian Becksvoort

Living a Tradition from the editors of Smithsonian Magazine

Shaker style on the BBC site