Homework #1: What is Artful Design

Sebastian James

Aesthetics and Design, Form and Function

This is a response to Chapter 1 of Artful Design, "Design is ____".

I will be responding to Principle 1.13, Design is Human

Design is Human (pg. 46). I thought it fitting to start with this definition of design which is presented to us in Chapter 1, especially as it conflicts with what I once thought of as design, and what I still think of as design. Firstly, I would like to treat design as an entity entirely separate from the intentions and forces of humanity. I believe there are traits we share with design, and traits we don’t. However, I believe that our definition of design is solely based on the traits we see common to ourselves, juxtaposed to anything we “design”. For example, the epitome of human beauty has long been considered a product of symmetry; the more symmetrical one’s face and body, the more objective beauty they have. The same can be said about design, both natural and artificial – flowers, ferns, and honeycombs all exemplify natural symmetry. The same can be said about pyramids, ancient buildings, and bridges. From this we may assume that humans aren’t the only architects of design. Rather, “Design is created. Design is experienced. Design is a thing in motion” (pg 51). I believe that just as we design buildings, paint art, play music, and program software, the constantly designing natural world has its turn in shaping humanity. We can’t be so foolish as to believe that design isn’t observing us as well, as stated in Chapter 1 of Artful Design. When I was younger I remember watching The Night in the Museum with my family and still to this day questioning if the world around us is in fact as it appears to us, or if its true form is outside the dimensions of human perception, or if in fact we as humans are the subjects of other entities looking in on us when we least expect it.

Rather than design being human, it appears to me as a conduit through which we conceive emotions into action. For example, we devise a function to progress “as a society”. Over time, the jobs of painters, musicians, architects, poets, and philosophers has been to create a form for that function which enhances its usefulness. As stated in Chapter 1 of Artful Design, form and function operate in an infinite feedback loop, but only once we are satisfied with both may we begin the cycle over again, devising a new function. I liken the lifecycle of design to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – in order for a person to achieve more, they must first have the basics. Shelter, food, exercise, and self esteem are all needed before one can love deeply, learn, and elicit creativity. Back in terms of design, one can’t simply create endlessly without taking the (sometimes monotonous) time to sculpt and evolve the form into function; like a Renaissance sculptor chipping out what is not to leave what is supposed to be.

Reading and reflecting on this chapter gave me assurance that there is not only a desire for design to “artify” our surroundings and make what we do everyday more enjoyable, but also a need for that function to be well designed: we need to FEEL it, become INSPIRED by it, become CURIOUS because of it. One of my (yet-to-be-enforced) New Year’s Resolutions was to do less, but do more with purpose. It seems that Artful Design is a paradigm to put more “purpose” into what I do and to NOT treat everything like boxes on a check list.

Design Etude #1

Taking Notice to Means and Ends

My Violin:
I believe that my violin is the epitome of the dichotomy between means-to-an-end and end-in-itself. Without form, there would be no function beyond kindling for fire on a desperate, cold, Vermont winter night. However, without function, the form would be incomprehensible. The balance between form and function and function and form is the signature of the luthier, and foundation of my relationship with the instrument. Interestingly, however, one needs not understand both to experience both. If one were to close their eyes, the function they hear would well inform the expected form. If I were to see the violin on display, I would have an expectation of the function I would hear from the instrument.


My weightlifting shoes:
There are those who believe that shoes merely serve the purpose of covering our feet, and there are those who buy shoes, put them in glass cases, never to be worn. I don’t fall into either camp. My weightlifting shoes are built with purpose – I bought them for the very purpose they were created for. However, over time, I have come to realize an emotional connection to every scuff mark, imperfection, and horrid smell connected to the pair. They are not the shoes I bought – they are my shoes. Their beauty to me far surpasses any superficial desire to mend or replace them – at least not until absolutely necessary. They are a functional design as opposed to a well-designed function.


My room:
My room falls under the category of “controlled mess”. My room doesn’t take on one, two, or three functions. There aren’t enough words to describe what functions my room offers me. It is a creative studio when I feel claustrophobic. It is an escape when I feel overwhelmed. It is nothing when I have too much. It is safe when I feel I have nothing. My room is my ongoing experiment into Artful Design. I alter my room to take on various forms and functions to fit my needs and desires, both present and future. My room has four walls which everyone can see, but only I know of the deep crevasses which truly give my room its power and character.

Guerilla Design: A Text Message

For the final part of Design Etude #1, I present a text message to my roommate which has been "artified". Instead of summarizing my day (or just sending an audio message if I'm feeling EXTRA lazy), I decided to add another dimension: DESIGN.