A brief history of....

LESS BUT

BETTER

“Good design is making something intelligible and memorable.

Great design is making something memorable and meaningful”.

– DIETER RAMS

Intro..

..........

A brief history of........

Modernist Philosophy through Design.

This publication intents to explore the progression of modernist philosophies through time and the success of functional design.

Modernism

Dieter Rams

The Bauhaus

Braun

Apple

“Never before have the conditions of life changed so swiftly and enormously as they have… in the last fifty years. We have been carried along… [and] we are only now beginning to realize the force and strength of the storm of change that has come upon us.”

-H .G . WELLS, 1933

T

o begin writing about modernist design, it is necessary to define exactly what the notion of modernism means. Although partially subjective, in its broadest sense, modernism is a set of cultural tendencies and movements, especially within the arts, that occurred between the years 1750 and 1950.

Focusing on the early nineteen hundreds in particular, throughout this time the idea of progression proliferated and was inextricably linked to the process of industrialization and urbanization. The west as a whole, relished the rapid growth of cities, modern industrial society and the development of

technologies that before seemed ludicrous.

‘We must press forward to find out best. There are no limits to future abilities, just limits to what we can do now. We simply must keep shining the light of knowledge on the darkness of ignorance, until we find our best.’ (Will, J. 2002,) Modernists embraced social morality, truth in design, new and emerging technologies, function and progress.

Other cultural commentators have described Modernism as a philosophy; a socially progressive thought process that puts human beings back at the ‘centre of the stage.’

Human beings regained the power to create, improve and reshape their environment. This came in many forms.

With the aid of practical experimentation, advancements in scientific knowledge and technology were plain to see and as with nearly all art and design of this time, a re-examination of every aspect of existence from commerce to philosophy was underway. The main aim of this was to find ways in which progress was being hindered and replacing it with new ways of reaching the same end. Passuth wrote in her essay Debut of Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, ‘the turbulent events at the end of the 1910’s led

many European artists to orientate their efforts towards constructing a new and better society.

Though the visual language of earlier Avant-guard movements were reworked, they moved away from futurist extremism and Dada raillery. ‘Art for arts sake’ was thrown overboard; artists wanted their art to be useful.’ (1999) Massimo Vignelli confirms this in his essay Long Live Modernism, stating ‘modernism was and still is the search for truth, the search for integrity, the search for cultural stimulation and enrichment of the mind.

Modernism was never a style, but an attitude.’

(1991)

“From the beginning, Modernism had the urgency of Utopianism: to make the world a better place by design.�

-MASSIMO VIGNELLI, 1991

A

t the core of Modernism was a Utopian belief that the world had to be fundamentally rethought through the power of designer’s creations.

Through the application of new technology and materials, combined with a single, all embracing methodology, it was believed that these new approaches to design could significantly improve people’s physical and psychological conditions. Modernists believed in a ‘total art’, the idea of art and design working together to enhance every part of the manufactured environment, from architecture, interior, furniture, product, graphic and fashion design as well as painting, sculpture, film, photography, prints and collage.

“The new life of iron and the machine, the roar of automobiles, the glitter of electric lights, the whirring of propellers, have awoken the soul.”

-KAZIMIR MALEVICH , 1916

T

he emergence of new technologies was dominant to the conception of a new Utopian world. By the 1920s, the machine revolutionized modernist ideas towards design, society and the environment.

The machine challenged these ideas by driving design, creating a simple, practical aesthetic that was promoted by those who saw a beauty in the machine -- a beauty in appearance and function.

“From the goal of uniting “art and techniques” by producing well designed goods for the modern mass to the attempt to “put life in order”. (J. Schwartz, F, 2006) The machine brought the possibility of mass production, producing large quantities of replicas of traditional luxury items that were once unfeasible. This made a wider range of consumer items affordable to the average citizen.

“If today’s arts love the machine, technology and organization, if they aspire to precision and reject anything vague and dreamy, this implies an instinctive repudiation of chaos and a longing to find the form appropriate to our times.”

-OSKAR SCHLEMMER

O

ne of the first schools of design, the Bauhaus was the most influential modernist art school of the 20th century. It had a profound influence on developments in the arts and became one of the

foundations of the modern movement. The institute was driven by the aim to unite art and technology to produce a purer form of design that was accessible to the masses. This new way of thinking opened

up new possibilities within design and questioned the definition of beauty. The complexity of designs were simplified to fulfill societies basic needs for everyday life with functionality dictating the form.

“It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, of all things physical and metaphysical, of all things human and all things superhuman, of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul, that the life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function. This is the law.”

-LOUIS SULLIVAN, 1896

T

he phrase ‘Form Follows Function’ originally derived from the American architect, Louis Sullivan. However, the Bauhaus followed on from Sullivan’s ideas by applying this ideology to their designs. The structure, materials used and construction of the designs dictated the outward appearance, so much so, that they were described as ‘styless’. This elimination of ornament and constructional techniques paralleled technology and was elevated to a status like never before.

The phrase “Form Follows Function� can be interpreted in two ways:

Descriptive: beauty results from purity of function Prescriptive: aesthetic considerations in design should be secondary to function

This ideology influenced some of the most iconic and timeless designs within the modernist era however, as technology continued to develop and societies needs changed as time progressed, the aesthetic qualities of a design can be just as important to the success of a design as the functionality.

“Good design is as lit­tle design as possible”.

– DIETER RAMS

D

ieter Rams has been described as one of the most influential industrial designers of the 20th century. His career began when the German consumer electronics manufacturer, Braun, who recruited him in 1955.

Working alongside his team of designers, Ram’s created a strong visual identity for the products at Braun that werew elegant with an exquisite simplicity, user friendliness and extreme versatility due to the rigorous experimentation of materials and obsessive attention to detail.

With this in mind, Ram’s describes his approach to design as “Weniger, aber besser” which translates to “Less, but better”. This phrase could be seen to be an updated and improved version of Louis Sullivan’s “Form Follows Function”, he goes on to define his approach to “good design” with ten principles that reflect the most important elements of what he considered to be good design.

Good design is innovative The possibilities for progression are not, by any means, exhausted.

Technological development is always offering new opportunities for original designs. But imaginative design always develops in tandem with improving technology, and can never be an end in itself.

Good design makes a product useful A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy not only functional, but also psychological and aesthetic criteria. Good design emphasizes the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could detract from it.

Good design is aesthetic The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products are used every day and have an effect on people and their well-being. Only well-executed objects can be beautiful.

Good design makes a product understandable It clarifies the product’s structure.

Better still, it can make the product clearly express its function by making use of the user’s intuition.

At best, it is self-explanatory.

Good design is unobtrusive Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user’s self-expression.

Good design is honest It does not make a product appear more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.

Good design is long-lasting It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years – even in today’s throwaway society.

Good design is thorough down to the last detail Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer.

Good design is environmentally-friendly Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimizes physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.

Good design is as little design as possible Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials.

Back to purity, back to simplicity.

T

he new design concept implemented

by Braun began from the mid 1950’s and was closely associated with German modern industrial design. The ethos combined the continuing ideas of functionality, technology and use of experimental materials. Headed by Dr. Fritz Eichler, Braun created its first design department in 1956. The team collaborated with the school of design in Ulm that had continued the work set out by the Bauhaus movement. A youthful Dieter Rams was apart of this concept and soon became a key figure that influenced many of Braun’s products.

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he Braun collection consists of around 5,600 products from a 90-year period. Braun and its design team managed to give technology a clear shape, wrapping it in modern materials. Some of the products from the Braun designs reveal the impact they have had on other designers to this day.

A

pple is a brand that has embraced the philosophies of modernist design and contributed to it in its own right. They have found a balance between the technological advances, functionality of the designs and unadorned aesthetics to achieve perfectly considered products to suit the needs of a modern society.

At the head of this new design era is Apple’s senior vice president of industrial design, Jonathan Ive. His passion for “simplicity” and “honest design” resonates through the products at Apple creating desirable and quality designs. Ive’s designs have been considered to meet the needs of a contemporary society however, at the core of his philosophy which can be clearly seen in many of Apple’s products is Dieter Rams ‘10 principles for good design’.

The similarities between Apple and Braun are clear to see and provide an insight into the success of modernist philosophies throughout time. Although modernism had its flaws, the ongoing presence in design continues to influence some of the most successful brands of the time, proving that simplicity and functional design, has and can survive the test of time.

“Good design is making something intelligible and memorable.

Great design is making something memorable and meaningful”.

– DIETER RAMS