Opinion

Form and Function

Most people see design as a luxury line of business. Some people think the design industry belongs only to a very small sector of the population. But is this really true? Shouldn’t design exist among us all, in every single aspect of our daily lives, regardless of the prejudices some people have about it? Should design always be tied to pure aesthetic purposes only? Or should there be a lot more factors, which help to shape timeless designs for every one of us through every breath we take each second?
 
One of the very well known and important movements in Art and Design –Modernism – believes that form should always follow function, that we should always be true to the material used, and of course the very famous saying that ‘less is more’ which is the main focus of Modernism. 
 
Emeco, the Electrical Machine and Equipment Company from the US, is perhaps a very good example of how to look at design from another perspective.  During the Second World War, the US Navy commissioned Wilton Carlyle Dinges, the founder of Emeco, to design a chair, which could endure very tough conditions. The brief was very straightforward. They were looking for something that could withstand the damage caused by salt water; it had to be light and tough – in other words, a product which could last for a lifetime. 
 
A 77-step process resulted in the final solution.  From forming, welding, grinding, heat treating, and finishing to anodizing, not one step could be missed. This was a method that no one else would have chosen. The chair is known as ‘Ten-0-six’ or ‘The Navy Chair’.
 
Su – which means ‘plain’ or ‘unadorned’ in Japanese, is a collection designed by Nendo, a very well respected Japanese designer. His concept for this range is to emphasize that simplicity is not only modest, but its aesthetic can portray something stronger than luxury. Su is a collection which has inherited Emeco’s philosophy. 
 
As Nendo suggests in his design theory, his goal is to give people a small ‘!’ moment.  He once said, “There are so many small ‘!’ moments hidden in our everyday. But we don’t recognize them. And even when we do recognize them, we tend to unconsciously reset our minds and forget what we’ve seen”.
 
Maybe today is a good time to appreciate all those designs, which we are surrounded by 24/7. It’s never too late to inhale and taste those quirky ‘!’ moments throughout the day.
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