a brief history of...publication
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LESS BUT
BETTER
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Good design is making something intelligible and memorable.Great design is making something memorable and meaningful.
DIETER RAMS
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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.
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Modernism Dieter Rams
Braun
Apple
The Bauhaus
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From the beginning, Modernism had the urgency of
Utopianism: to make the world a better place by design.
-MASSIMO VIGNELLI, 1991
At the core of Modernismwas a Utopian belief that theworld had to be fundamentally
rethought through the power
of designers 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
signicantly improve peoples
physical and psychological
conditions. Modernists believed
in a total art, the idea of artand 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, lm, photography,
prints and collage.
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The new life of iron and the machine, the roar of automobiles, the glitter ofelectric lights, the whirring of propellers, have awoken the soul.
-KAZIMIR MALEVICH , 1916
The 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.
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It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, ofall things physical and metaphysical, of all things human andall things superhuman, of all true manifestations of the head,of the heart, of the soul, that the life is recognizable in itsexpression, that form ever follows function. This is the law.
-LOUIS SULLIVAN, 1896
The phrase Form Follows Function originallyderived from the American architect, LouisSullivan. However, the Bauhaus followed on from
Sullivans 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 andconstructional techniques paralleled technology
and was elevated to a status like never before.
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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 inuenced 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.
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Dieter Rams has been
described as one
of the most inuential
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, Rams 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, Rams 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 Sullivans Form Follows Fun ction,
he goes on to dene his approach to good design with ten
principles that reect the most important elements of what he
considered to be good design.
Good design is as little design as possible.
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Good design is innovative
The possibilities for progression
are not, by any means, exhausted.Technological development isalways offering new opportunitiesfor original designs. Butimaginative design alwaysdevelops in tandem with improvingtechnology, and can never be anend in itself.
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Good design makes a
product useful
A product is bought to be used. Ithas to satisfy not only functional,but also psychological andaesthetic criteria. Good designemphasizes the usefulness ofa product whilst disregardinganything that could detract from it.
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Good design is aesthetic
The aesthetic quality of a product isintegral to its usefulness becauseproducts are used every day andhave an effect on people and theirwell-being. Only well-executedobjects can be beautiful.
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Good design makes a
product understandable
It claries the products structure.Better still, it can make the productclearly express its function bymaking use of the users intuition.At best, it is self-explanatory.
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Good design is unobtrusive
Products fullling a purpose are liketools. They are neither decorativeobjects nor works of art. Theirdesign should therefore be bothneutral and restrained, to leaveroom for the users self-expression.
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Good design is honest
It does not make a product appearmore innovative, powerful orvaluable than it really is. It doesnot attempt to manipulate theconsumer with promises thatcannot be kept.
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Good design is long-lasting
It avoids being fashionableand therefore never appearsantiquated. Unlike fashionabledesign, it lasts many years evenin todays throwaway society.
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Good design is thorough
down to the last detail
Nothing must be arbitrary or leftto chance. Care and accuracy inthe design process show respecttowards the consumer.
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Good design is
environmentally-friendly
Design makes an importantcontribution to the preservationof the environment. It conservesresources and minimizes physicaland visual pollution throughout thelifecycle of the product.
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Good design is as little
design as possible
Less, but better because itconcentrates on the essentialaspects, and the products arenot burdened with non-essentials.Back to purity, back to simplicity.
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The new design concept implemented
by Braun began from the mid
1950s 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 rst
design department in 1956. The team
collaborated with the school of design in
Ulm that had continued the work set outby the Bauhaus movement. A youthful
Dieter Rams was apart of this concept
and soon became a key gure that
inuenced many of Brauns products.
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The 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.
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At the head of this new
design era is Apples 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. Ives 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 Apples
products is Dieter Rams 10
principles for good design.
Apple 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.
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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 aws, the
ongoing presence in design continues to inuence some of the
most successful brands of the time, proving that simplicity and
functional design, has and can survive the test of time.
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Good design is making something intelligible and memorable.Great design is making something memorable and meaningful.
DIETER RAMS
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