Architecture | All Kinds of Antiquarian

Frank Lloyd Wright

November 10th, 2009 admin No comments

Form Vs. Function, Forever

We've been stroking our collective chin at my industrial design firm over Patrick Smith's broadside on the aesthetic flaws of the new Airbus A380 for a over a week now. We've also been cogitating on Felix Salmon's response:

"I do hold out some romantic hope that an ugly design can never be the best design; that something truly efficient is likely also to be good-looking. Maybe the A380 isn't ugly because it's efficient. And just maybe there's a solution out there which would have made it both better-looking and cheaper to construct and operate."

Maybe. In any case, all of this takes us to the "form follows function" debate that has been haunting the world of architecture and design since the 19th century and continues to rage as you read this. Just ask superstar architect Frank Gehry, currently being sued by his ex-friends at MIT for one of his flamboyant, but apparently other than practical, designs. (And, as John Maeda points out, the ultimate 20th century architectural superstar, Frank Lloyd Wright, could be downright arrogant on the subject. Function be damned.)

As an engineering and industrial design firm operating in the real world, this is a needle that we have to thread on a daily basis. It's important to design products that are aesthetically pleasing; consumers will always prefer a pretty product to an ugly one. It's essential to design something that actually works and doesn't create grief; no one will tolerate a product that ruins their day. And, finally, it's utterly crucial for our work to make business sense -- otherwise, functional or not, beautiful or not, it will never find its way to the market. Three hard-to-please taskmasters, but we manage it.

It's all trade-offs and the three-way balancing act is not always equal, though it should be. Some products skate by entirely on beauty and offer only mediocre functionality. If you've ever driven a Jaguar from the 1980s or early nineties, you'll know what we're talking about, but that's a poor trade-off and Jaguar ultimately paid the price, but not before countless wealthy buyers were seduced by the old Jag's gorgeous lines. Conversely, the Airbus 380 may be ugly on the outside, but if it offers fliers a good enough experience for their money and provides airlines with smooth operation, Patrick Smith may find himself a voice in the wilderness.

About the Author

Bob Westal represents Nectar, an award winning product development consultancy and industrial design firm helping clients create products that connect to their users and expand their markets. For more information, please visit us at http://www.nectardesign.com