As a designer, I feel that form follows....
Name: Thomas White Student ID: N0492141 Tutor: Emma Lane Word Count: 3000 ¹ 10%   1
Abstract This document will outline the author s standpoint on the principle form follows function . Research was undertaken in order to gain an accurate knowledge base and to explore certain aspects of design such as society and culture as well as others conducive to the search for an answer to the title. This led to a two sided argument backed up by evidence linked to the author s opinion that form actually does not follow function entirely, instead there are different strands branching off the expression design which we as designers must consider in order to model a successful product. This article will summarise the information given in order to conclude that form does not necessarily follow function, instead it tends to follow a specific society or culture. Having read the arguments outlined below hopefully you will accept that the principle form follows function is no longer a design principle which is to be followed strictly, instead it is simply just a small part of a much larger picture in today s design world.
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Table of contents As a designer, I feel that form follows....
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Abstract
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Table of contents
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Introduction
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Form follows function
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Does form really follow function?
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To conclude, what does form actually follow?
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Bibliography
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Figure list
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Appendices
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Introduction Human history is much too short to compete with nature s richness in creating functional forms. Nevertheless, the ingenuity of man has brought forth excellent results in every period of history when he understood the scientific, technological, aesthetic, and other requirements. This means that the statement, form follows function has to be supplemented; that is, form also follows - or at least it should follow - existing scientific, technical and artistic developments, including sociology and economy (Margolin, V (1995)) Form follows function was first mentioned by the American sculptor Horatio Greenough in 1852, however, it is usually correlated with the architect Louis Sullivan. In his essay, The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered , he wrote ... that form ever follows function . ((Sullivan, 1896)). This principle grew for over 150 years and is still relevant in today s design world. Despite the fact that form follows function is the most used design principle to date, there are several ways in which you could interpret it; is the function actually more important than the form? Does the function have to be defined before a product can be designed? Can the form results be unavoidable if it should follow the function? There is a huge misunderstanding that a product only has one function; almost every product is likely to have more than one function assigned to it. A product as simple as a spoon from a cutlery set not only fulfils the essential function of aiding food consumption but it may also have a sentimental attachment to it ‒ part of a wedding present perhaps - or may even be used for a completely different purpose, such as a levering open a tin lid or even an instrument to make a quenelle of ice cream for a sophisticated dessert. Functions are not there to just serve a utility but they also depend on social, cultural, historic, religious and economic factors. The reason a consumer buys a certain product is not only because it is useful but also perhaps they have a loyalty to the brand, see it as a high quality product, to display a social status or even purely because they enjoy the design and have no intention of using the product s functionality. The author will outline his own standpoint on design and where his design interests lie. Several aspects of ideas within design, where form follows different ideals, will be discussed leading to the conclusion that form actually follows a specific society or culture.
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This article aims to be critical about the author s knowledge and beliefs alongside exploring other designers work and beliefs throughout different design periods. In most recent design history the major concern has been residing in the discussion of form. It is now recognised that there are other aspects of design that are equally as important, and sometimes more significant, than the form of a design. For example, if two people were given the same design brief their solutions will inevitably be different. Why? Figure 1 shows how different approaches to design can result in two very different final products.
Figure 1. Shows how different approaches to design can result in two very different products.
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Form follows function It was believed amongst some designer that the shape of a product should be primarily based upon its intended function or purpose. This principle was heavily associated with modernist architecture and industrial design from the 20th century, introduced by the American architect, Louis Henry Sullivan. He was born in September 1956 and went on to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He is viewed as the man behind the evolution of modern architecture in the United States of America; proving that the outward form should faithfully express the function beneath creating the statement form follows function . Sullivan was mentor to the better known architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, a household name due to the manner of work which he introduced to the world. He designed one thousand, one hundred and fourteen architectural works of all kinds, five hundred and thirty two of which were realised, creating some of the most monumental and intimate spaces in America. Some examples of his work include; The Dwight D. Martin House - considered to be one of Wright s greatest and most important projects (Figure 2) Taliesin - the site of Wright s primary studio and his summer abode (Figure 3) Fallingwater - one of his most recognisable pieces of architecture, designed while staying at Taliesin. (Figure 4)
Figure 2. The Dwight D. Martin House.
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Figure 3. Taliesin, Wrights primary studio.
Figure 4. Fallingwater.
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Wright believed in designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment, similar to the beliefs of Viktor Papanek; a very strong advocate of the socially and ecologically responsible design of products, tools and community infrastructures, strongly disapproving of manufacturing products that were unsafe, maladapted or essentially useless. Many designers believe that form follows function and design to it; Norman Bel Geddes, Viktor Papanek, Bauhaus and Raymond Loewy, a French born American industrial designer, all adhere to this. It would be diďŹƒcult to go a whole day without encountering a Loewy creation; his portfolio included the Shell, Exxon, TWA and the old BP logos, Coca-Cola vending machines, refrigerators and the design of the American president s Air Force One livery. The 1920s and 30s introduced the design movement known as modernism. This came about from a school in Germany called The Bauhaus; teachers had a vision of a union between art and design, combining sculpture, architecture and painting into one creative expression - objects needed to look modern. This movement spread to a number of countries, including Britain, and designers started to create objects that simply focused on function, displaying a minimal geometric aesthetic (Figure 5). After the Second World War, Bauhaus reached a wider audience, providing a foundation for design education worldwide; this manifestly led to the majority of designers respecting the rule form follows function . However, this soon proved to be the wrong direction for designers; as design started to inuence the lives of more people, designers had to free themselves from such strict rules and think outside of the box.
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Figure 5. A laminated wood chair designed in 1929 by Alvar Aalto
Nevertheless, still to this day, there are designers that teach, design and write as a proponent of form follows function . Viktor Papanek, up until his death in 1998, was the most influential designer to continue this principle; writing several books on the subject. His first book, Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change (1971) split the design community with its ground-breaking idea and its uncompromising critique of contemporary design culture, leading to the book becoming a huge success. Translated into twenty three different languages it remains one of the most read design books to date. Papanek had five other books published, three of which were co-authored with James Hennessey, a colleague at The California Institute of the Arts. These books include Nomadic Furniture: How To Build And Where To Buy Lightweight Furniture That Folds, Inflates, Knocks Down, Stacks, Or Is Disposable And Can Be Recycled (1973), Nomadic Furniture 2 (1974) and How Things Don't Work (1977). Papanek himself is the sole author of Design for Human Scale and The Green Imperative (1983 and 1995 respectively). The Green Imperative builds consistently upon the issues of enduring interest to Papanek. The book is filled with several contemporary themes of concern to designers whilst exploring the ecological impacts of modern industrial practices. Papanek taught us that having a functioning product is a lot more important that having a product that 9
is aesthetically pleasing. In his book Design for The Real World Papanek claims it is all quite simple: aesthetic value is an inherent part of function . (Papanek, V (1985)) Despite this, design is constantly evolving. Many designers have now ventured away from form follows function and are now developing with other principles in mind, due to the fact that we, as designers, are now designing for the future and working to a brief with just form and function in mind is near enough impossible. Designers are now exploring new avenues within their designs. Should form strictly follow function there would not be such a huge variety of products available on the market, yet alone an increasing demand for designers in all industries. This is because there are other factors that form must follow for a product to be successful; function is always a principal to go by but there are more prominent features to consider as we design for the present and the future. Economic, social and cultural inuences on a product play a consequential role in the design process and subsequently its life cycle.
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Does form really follow function? Form follows function is the most used design concept to date, however, it is not the only concept applied to products. In the author s opinion, this is like the chicken and the egg conundrum - which came first, the form or the function? Going back to the early existence of humans, the statement surely would have been function follows form . Before we started to build our own stone tools we almost certainly scrounged around for existing natural objects (stones, bones, sticks) that could help us perform tasks. A stone that fit neatly in the hand could be used to apply sharp blows. A pointed stick worked well for jabbing holes in things. So, in these cases, the form actually existed before the function. It was the form that stirred the imagination and the idea of the use, which then led to function . (Dair, T. (2009)). There are several different aspects of design which need to be explored (as shown in Figure 1) other than the function. Yes, function does have a stronghold over the outcome of a product, but does form have to follow a particular pattern laid out to us several years ago? Through several design periods and millions of new products being produced, surely the form of a product has followed whatever it needs to in order to create the best answer to the brief. Does an iPhone have more emphasis on function or technology? Do spectacles have more emphasis on the function or the aesthetics? The idea that form follows function has little to no weight behind it in examples like these; products within the consumer electronics market are formed on the basis of efficient containment of all the internal components such as circuit boards and displays. If spectacles were to abide to form follows function why don't they all look the same? In July 2014, Dezeen magazine conducted an interview with Alberto Alessi, president of Alessi, producing everyday products that combine mass production with creativity. Having worked alongside designers including Philippe Starck, Alessandro Mendini and Stefano Giovannoni he is quoted as saying that Aldo Rossi s La Conica espresso maker defies the key principle of 20th century design that from should follow function (Alessi, A. (2014)). He continues to say that ...practice was completely different from the usual practice of design as it is taught in schools. In schools they teach students that form follows function, but Aldo didn't believe that . (Alessi, A. (2014)). The product in question (Figure 6) was a polished stainless steel espresso maker with a cylindrical body and cone shaped lid. Alessi describes the product as one of their most poetical products , claiming that the emotion and the expression of the art is much 11
more important than the function . It is clear that modern designers now feel that there are other important characteristics within design other than function. La Conica was designed in 1983 and has been a very successful product and is still found on sale today.
Figure 6. La Conica Espresso maker by Aldo Rossi for Alessi On top of simple, different approaches like Alessi, there are also more complex motions to consider such as culture. In 1992, Henry Petroski, an American engineer specialising in failure analysis, wrote the book The Evolution of Useful Things in order to challenge the widely-held notion, form follows function . He uses the example of Western versus Eastern eating utensils (knives and forks versus the chopstick). Petroski outlines the development of such tools and how they were much the result of cultural and social issues as about the task itself. He has enlightened us as to how two very different cultures have evolved and produced two very different designs that essentially do the same task; putting food into ones mouth. It is this difference that is crucial. Petroski is quoted in his book as saying Putting implements such as the common knife and fork and chopsticks into an evolutionary perspective, tentative as it necessarily must be, gives a new slant to the concept of their design, for they do not spring fullyformed from the mind of some maker, but rather, become shaped and reshaped through the (principally negative) experiences of their users within the social, 12
cultural, and technological contexts in which they are embedded. The formal evolution of artefacts in turn has profound influences on how we use them. Imagining how the form of things as seemingly simple as eating utensils might have evolved demonstrates the inadequacy of a form follows function arguments to serve as a guiding principle for understanding how artefacts have come to look they way they do. Reflecting on how the form of the knife and fork have developed, let alone how vastly divergent are the ways in which Eastern and Western cultures have solved the identical design problem of conveying food to mouth, really demolishes any overly deterministic argument, for clearly there is no unique solution to the elementary problem of eating . (Petroski, H (1993)) and (Porter, J. (2007)). It is interesting to see how Petroski compares the Western and Eastern cultures and societies. He clearly outlines that if form did follow function there would be one unique product rather than different utensils. However, what is fascinating, is the fact that Petroski believes form comes from the failure of the products before it - something which clearly stands out and makes the designer think.
Western concepts of beauty When we begin to design something, whether a new building, a new kettle or a typeface, how do we decide what it should look like? How do we decide upon an object s proportions, shape, form, colour, pattern or texture? (Bartholomew, J & Rutherford, S (2013)) There are several different constraints that a designer must consider, such as costs, materials and target market, but there is often an opportunity to design a variety of design proposals in answer to any brief. Aesthetics stems from the philosophy concerned with the consciousness and description of beauty and ugliness. The Greek philosophers Plato (circa 427-347BC) and Aristotle (384- 322BC) lived with the interpretation that beauty was a distinct property of the physical world and that an object would remain beautiful regardless of the objects popularity. In more recent times, opinions have changed regarding aesthetics with the German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) teaching that beauty is not a simple property of an object but that it only existed in the mind of the observer - thus, the idea of beauty is only generated as a response to looking at that certain object; a view that is widely accepted today within the Western culture.
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Eastern concepts of beauty The Eastern concepts of design and beauty offer a completely different point of view from those in the west. Culture in the east follows the traditional Japanese philosophy that says that reality is in a constant state of change - or in the Buddhist sense, one of fundamental impermanence (Bartholomew, J & Rutherford, S (2013)). They believe that beauty is a transitory, fleeting thing quoting that living things lose their beauty and die (Bartholomew, J & Rutherford, S (2013)). Unlike the Greeks idea, there are no permanent ideals of beauty in the Platonic sense. Buddhism, however, teaches us that having an awareness of the transient nature of existence and beauty should not lead us to despair; instead it should make us appreciate whatever time is left. In Japan, this idea of valuing time and leading a useful life goes hand-in-hand with the arts and crafts. Traditional Japanese arts have always been closely linked with Confucian ideas of self-cultivation and ethical ways of living ... As in China, the cultivated person was always expected to be skilled in many of the arts (Bartholomew, J & Rutherford, S (2013)). Consequently, the Eastern culture involved arts and crafts in everyday life a lot more in comparison to the Western traditions. Food and eating provide dramatic contrasts with different cultures adopting very different behaviour. Some use silverware, some chopsticks and some use fingers or bread. (Unknown. (2013)) A product s culture is very important to designers as it reflects people s lives and their use of objects. The form of a product must portray a particular culture or its life story, if not, culture will be bogged down or simply disappear altogether. Cultural differences are a fundamental part of design; moreover, they are stimulating and absorbing. Presently, the importance of culture now exists within governing social interaction, the types of foods that are eaten and the stylistic preference (Unknown. (2013)). Contemporary products are designed to support a particular activity, therefore it is the certain activity that will inevitably control how the product should be designed and used. The more traditional design briefs are heavily determined by culture.
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To conclude, what does form actually follow? Having discussed different aspects of design and potential design ideals and influences, the author strongly believes that form follows a specific society or culture. Communities have been heavily influenced by anthropology; one of their most critical and core beliefs is needing to understand and respect cultural differences. When carrying out primary research, one of the biggest results was the fact that people undertake activities that are unknowingly controlled by culture; so much so that even when similar products were being used, the culture itself creates a different experience entirely. Design researchers have found that different people use the same products in many different ways in order to manipulate them to fit into certain cultural needs. If designers could convince companies to focus upon what people actually do with the products available to them, they could produce products better attuned to real needs (Norman, D. (2012)) Arguably, there are several variations to culture but in order to create a successful product the designer should immerse themselves into that specific environment and observe how current products are being used; it is certain that they would observe a vast difference in how they were being used and the way in which the consumer utilises the products to suit their needs. In the author s opinion, cultural diversity is a powerful, positive influence and we, as responsible designers, should pay as much attention to how people behave in their environments, supporting the richness of cultural diversity. It is not the product that is important: it is how it is used, in context (Norman, D. (2012)). Students are increasingly being taught how to use observational skills, design research methods as well as rapid prototyping and refinement within a design brief. These methods clearly enhance the sensitivity to cultural variations and people s needs; something which many designers are starting to realise is a key aspect within the design industry and beyond. So to conclude, after much deliberation, form does not actually follow function, instead it follows a specific society or culture. This article has hopefully demonstrated that the principle form follows function is no longer a design principle to strictly follow, instead it is simply just a small part of a much larger picture in today s design world. 15
Bibliography Alessi, A. (2014). Alberto Alessi on Aldo Rossi's La Conica espresso maker. Available: http:// www.dezeen.com/2014/07/07/movie-alberto-alessi-la-conica-espresso-maker-aldo-rossi-formfollows-function/. Last accessed 8th Dec 2015. Bartholomew, J & Rutherford, S (2013). The Design Student's Handbook. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. 285-288 Bartholomew, J & Rutherford, S (2013). The Design Student's Handbook. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. 333. Dair, T. (2009). Form Follows Function, Right? Not So Fast. Available: http:// www.fastcodesign.com/1282208/form-follows-function-right-not-so-fast. Last accessed 24th Nov 2015. Margolin, V (1995). The Idea of Design. Massachusetts: MIT Press. 35. Norman, D. (2012). Does Culture Matter for Product Design?. Available: http://www.core77.com/ posts/21455/Does-Culture-Matter-for-Product-Design. Last accessed 3rd Dec 2015. Norman, D. A. (2005). Human-centered design considered harmful. Interactions, 12(4), 14-19. Norman, D. A. (2005). HCD harmful? A clarification. From Don Norman's jnd website. http:// jnd.org/dn.mss/hcd_harmful_a_clarification.html Norman, D. A. (2006). Logic versus usage: the case for activity-centered design. Iinteractions, 13(6), 45-ff. Papanek, V (1985). Design for the Real World. London: Thames & Hudson. unknown. Petroski, H (1993). The Evolution of Useful Things. East Sussex: Pavillion. 9-24. Porter, J. (2007). Does Form Really Follow Function?. Available: http://bokardo.com/archives/ form-doesnt-follow-function/. Last accessed 24th Nov 2015. Ranjan, M. P., & Ranjan, A. (Eds.). (2007). Crafts of India: Handmade in India. New Delhi: Council of Handicraft Development Corporation: Office of the Development Commissioner Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles. Sullivan, L. (1896). The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered. Lippincott's Magazine, [online] (57), p.6. Available at: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/architecture/4-205-analysis-of-contemporaryarchitecture-fall-2009/readings/MIT4_205F09_Sullivan.pdf [Accessed 9 Dec. 2015]. Unknown. (2013). Does Culture Matter for Product Design?. Available: http://www.jnd.org/ dn.mss/does_culture_matter_.html. Last accessed 6th Dec 2015.
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Figure list Figures
Description
Figure 1
Shows how different approaches http://www.erim.eur.nl/fileadmin/default/content/ to design can result in two very images/erim%20news/fig-1%20different%20types different products %20of%20design.png
Figure 2
The Dwight D. Martin House
http://www.suscancohangardens.com/blog/to-buffalowith-love-part-2
Figure 3
Taliesin, Wrights primary studio
http://www.house-crazy.com/wp-content/uploads/ 2012/10/Taliesin-House7.jpg
Figure 4
Fallingwater
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/ Wrightfallingwater.jpg
Figure 5
A laminated wood chair designed https://architecture.knoji.com/a-history-of-modernchair-design-the-modern-movement/ in 1929 by Alvar Aalto
Figure 6
http://www.dezeen.com/2014/07/07/movie-albertoalessi-la-conica-espresso-maker-aldo-rossi-formfollows-function/
La Conica Espresso Maker
Reference
A book that provides an inclusive, cross-cultural study of Figure 7
design that will provoke readers to question both design and
http://davidreport.com/201109/design-creativityculture-orientation-design/
culture.
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Appendices WEBSITES http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/03/does-form-follow-function/ http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/education/school-educator-programs/teacherresources/arts-curriculum-online?view=item&catid=730&id=120 http://janmichl.com/eng.f-hai.html http://www.wired.com/2015/09/man-coined-form-follows-function-born-today/ http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/people/sullivan-louis-henry.html http://pauldabrowski.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/form-follows-function-and-raymondloewy.html http://vanseodesign.com/web-design/design-inuences/ https://ia801408.us.archive.org/0/items/pdfy--rXmwRDB5uzq5MmU/The%20Evolution %20Of%20Useful%20Things.pdf http://www.centigrade.de/blog/en/article/form-follows-function-an-unclear-designprinciple/ http://bokardo.com/archives/form-doesnt-follow-function/ http://www.thebrandwash.com/2013/03/21/form-follows-function-a-truism-that-isnttrue/ http://all-that-is-interesting.com/famous-designs-frank-lloyd-wright http://www.creativity-portal.com/articles/otoh/form.function.foolishness.html http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1353612 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/arts/01iht-DESIGN1.html?_r=0 http://www.fastcodesign.com/1282208/form-follows-function-right-not-so-fast http://www.core77.com/posts/21455/Does-Culture-Matter-for-Product-Design http://linearityofexpectation.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/does-form-really-followfunction.html http://www.dezeen.com/2014/07/07/movie-alberto-alessi-la-conica-espresso-makeraldo-rossi-form-follows-function/ http://www.oysteinhusby.com/function-utopia-form-follows-function/ http://www.ukessays.com/dissertation/examples/philosophy/the-modernist-dogma-thatform-follows-function.php http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/does_culture_matter_.html
BOOKS/JOURNALS The Design Student s Handbook - Jane Bartholomew & Steve Rutherford The Evolution of Useful Things - Henry Petroski The Green Imperative - Viktor Papanek The Idea of Design - Victor Margolin
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