August 2021 OVER PROCESSED
Source: https://www.vitsoe.com/us/about/good-design
In the late 1970s, Dieter Rams, a significant contributor to product development and design industry became concerned by the state of the industry around him: “An impenetrable confusion of forms, colors and noises.” Aware of what Rams had himself designed and contributed to date, Rams pondered what exactly comprised Good Design? Rams arrived at his defined 10 Principles for Good Design.
Good design is innovative
Good design makes a product useful
Good design is aesthetic
Good design makes a product understandable
Good design is unobtrusive
Good design is honest
Good design is long-lasting
Good design is thorough down to the last detail
Good design is environmentally-friendly
Good design is as little design as possible
Good design is innovative
Good design makes a product useful
Good design is aesthetic
Good design makes a product understandable
Good design is unobtrusive
Good design is honest
Good design is long-lasting
Good design is thorough down to the last detail
Good design is environmentally-friendly
Good design is as little design as possible
Fast forward a half a century later, there has been a plethora of good design and some significant "bad design".
As a society of ever increasing production, design has become reimaged, reshaped, redesigned and repackaged.
Marcel Duchamp's Fountain from 1917 (nearly half a century before Ram's ask of designers) displayed his "ready-made" sculpture, of a purposefully upside-down urinal. It's out of place presence gave pause as the museum enthusiast who was forced to reflect on:
What makes an object in essence good design?
Was the upside-down urinal displayed art worthy alongside the master artists displayed in the adjacent galleries?
Duchamp presented an upside-down urinal signed and dated with the appellation “R. Mutt, 1917,” and titled Fountain."
Duchamp's' fountain caused patrons to stop and think.
Source: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-duchamps-urinal-changed-art-forever
As a society of ever increasing production, design has become reimaged, reshaped, redesigned and repackaged.
Marcel Duchamp's Fountain from 1917 (nearly half a century before Ram's ask of designers) displayed his "ready-made" sculpture, of a purposefully upside-down urinal. It's out of place presence gave pause as the museum enthusiast who was forced to reflect on:
What makes an object in essence good design?
Was the upside-down urinal displayed art worthy alongside the master artists displayed in the adjacent galleries?
Duchamp presented an upside-down urinal signed and dated with the appellation “R. Mutt, 1917,” and titled Fountain."
Duchamp's' fountain caused patrons to stop and think.
Source: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-duchamps-urinal-changed-art-forever
In 2018, landfills received 27 million tons of plastic. 2018 numbers reflect that MSW landfills are the third-largest source (15.1 percent) of human-related methane emissions in the U.S.
In 2020, over two billion people purchased goods or services online, e-retail sales surpassed 4.2 trillion U.S. dollars worldwide.
In 2018, landfills received 27 million tons of plastic. 2018 numbers reflect that MSW landfills are the third-largest source (15.1 percent) of human-related methane emissions in the U.S.
In 2020, over two billion people purchased goods or services online, e-retail sales surpassed 4.2 trillion U.S. dollars worldwide.
From fashion and furnishings, what we design & produce matters.
A pause is needed to contemplate Great Design Principles for 21st century consideration.
They say..."less is more" and others "Less is a bore" yet in line with Less is more, a newly defined and distilled 3 principles, that of, Great design is timely and needed.
What we design today must strive for far and above "good" to Great!
Good Design is no longer good-enough, every design student has been schooled in the basics of the Design Process, the ask of the client, the design program. The design process ensures that what we seek to design for, solve, answers the ask, put simply... a Back to Basics guidebook measurement after-all sectors to consider.
Great Design Principles for y2022 and beyond.
1. Answer the "Ask"
2. Sustainable
3. Invisible when complete
A pause is needed to contemplate Great Design Principles for 21st century consideration.
They say..."less is more" and others "Less is a bore" yet in line with Less is more, a newly defined and distilled 3 principles, that of, Great design is timely and needed.
What we design today must strive for far and above "good" to Great!
Good Design is no longer good-enough, every design student has been schooled in the basics of the Design Process, the ask of the client, the design program. The design process ensures that what we seek to design for, solve, answers the ask, put simply... a Back to Basics guidebook measurement after-all sectors to consider.
Great Design Principles for y2022 and beyond.
1. Answer the "Ask"
2. Sustainable
3. Invisible when complete
Source: Gucci Archive
pared-down
ADJECTIVE
If you describe something as pared-down, you mean that it has no unnecessary features, and has been reduced to a very simple form.
Some of the top fashion houses routinely draw inspiration from previous collections. Fashion house design directors and their protégé's arrive at catalogued and guarded treasure troves that often spark ingenuity and reimagined designs to grace the runways. Despite the over-all shape of the bag or A-line skirt the over-all classic style of the bag purposefully changes little.
A carefully calculated offering can assure orders in advance of because the classic form was invisible, backstage, to the pop of color or material sewn taking centerstage.
ADJECTIVE
If you describe something as pared-down, you mean that it has no unnecessary features, and has been reduced to a very simple form.
Some of the top fashion houses routinely draw inspiration from previous collections. Fashion house design directors and their protégé's arrive at catalogued and guarded treasure troves that often spark ingenuity and reimagined designs to grace the runways. Despite the over-all shape of the bag or A-line skirt the over-all classic style of the bag purposefully changes little.
A carefully calculated offering can assure orders in advance of because the classic form was invisible, backstage, to the pop of color or material sewn taking centerstage.
Donna Karan epitomized Great Design, her (7) easy pieces provided women in professional roles effortless creativity in style as the collections worked with each previous collection offering classic assembles. The pieces were interchangeable and women could effortlessly go from office to after hour casual drinks/dinner as each item mixed and matched with the other pieces.
Great design basics that were visually uncomplicated and genius in drapery and concept.
CHANEL GOES BACK TO BASICS FOR SPRING 2019 CAMPAIGN
Source: https://fashionharp.com/campaigns/chanel-goes-back-to-basics-for-spring-2019-campaign/
Source: https://fashionharp.com/campaigns/chanel-goes-back-to-basics-for-spring-2019-campaign/
Often many fashion houses will pare-down, purposefully simplify their lines from time to time and offer a reboot in spring/fall lines.
Buyers often embrace the notion of starting fresh and buying the basics to build a collection they can afford and aspire to.
Marketing genius? perhaps, though many other designers recognized pared-down lines in styling provides the buyer respite, breathability, in not overly complicated styles.
Style that sells and redefines the patron's closet-a sensible/classics reset button.
Below:
Bassike's Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign Goes Back to Basics
Modern Minimal - For its spring-summer 2013 campaign, Australian label Bassike reflects its minimal designs with black and white images starring Svieta (Chic) and Jacob Hankin.
Buyers often embrace the notion of starting fresh and buying the basics to build a collection they can afford and aspire to.
Marketing genius? perhaps, though many other designers recognized pared-down lines in styling provides the buyer respite, breathability, in not overly complicated styles.
Style that sells and redefines the patron's closet-a sensible/classics reset button.
Below:
Bassike's Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign Goes Back to Basics
Modern Minimal - For its spring-summer 2013 campaign, Australian label Bassike reflects its minimal designs with black and white images starring Svieta (Chic) and Jacob Hankin.
From Back to Basics to the early 80's successful Sir Terrance Conran's books on household décor musts was "the" household name before online shopping or Martha launched.
Conran's Essential House Book was the "essentials" guide, a back-to-basics approach to home design, decoration, and furnishing and focus on kitchens, small spaces, bathrooms, and storage. Every item was classically designed with a nod to modern interpretation.
"Although initially a designer of furniture, fabrics and other home furnishings, Conran spent some six decades as a retailer of home products, at one time owning more than 900 stores across Britain, Europe, Japan and the United States. Though his financial successes came and went more than once, his impact on home furnishing retailing and design never diminished, and the boldface names in today’s retail landscape—from Crate & Barrel to Pottery Barn to RH—can all trace their roots back to his Habitat and Conran stores of the second half of the 20th century."
Source: https://businessofhome.com/articles/remembering-home-furnishings-legend-terence-conran
Conran's Essential House Book was the "essentials" guide, a back-to-basics approach to home design, decoration, and furnishing and focus on kitchens, small spaces, bathrooms, and storage. Every item was classically designed with a nod to modern interpretation.
"Although initially a designer of furniture, fabrics and other home furnishings, Conran spent some six decades as a retailer of home products, at one time owning more than 900 stores across Britain, Europe, Japan and the United States. Though his financial successes came and went more than once, his impact on home furnishing retailing and design never diminished, and the boldface names in today’s retail landscape—from Crate & Barrel to Pottery Barn to RH—can all trace their roots back to his Habitat and Conran stores of the second half of the 20th century."
Source: https://businessofhome.com/articles/remembering-home-furnishings-legend-terence-conran
Jackson Pollack who's quintessential art form was the epitope of over abundance and distraction in line and form collision was in actuality a well maintained a purposeful design style lane, his genre was controlled despite the chaotic impression his spatter art depicted.
Fans of Pollack's works found peace and in-depth meaning in his expression.
Pollack inherently knew and set out to ensure the difference between a good brush stroke gesture and a bad one and he knew that to paint in the abstract and on oversized canvases drew the observer into an environment rather than a painting.
Pollack was once asked about design the the process of he responded:
"But design is not art. Design is problem solving. But there must also come a time when the design is done. Since design is a process of creation and feedback, over design is the point where you pass the point where you no longer getting any value for your effort.
They call it “the law of diminishing returns”. Pollack
Pollack painting below Source: https://blog.artsper.com/en/a-closer-look/10-things-know-jackson-pollock/
Fans of Pollack's works found peace and in-depth meaning in his expression.
Pollack inherently knew and set out to ensure the difference between a good brush stroke gesture and a bad one and he knew that to paint in the abstract and on oversized canvases drew the observer into an environment rather than a painting.
Pollack was once asked about design the the process of he responded:
"But design is not art. Design is problem solving. But there must also come a time when the design is done. Since design is a process of creation and feedback, over design is the point where you pass the point where you no longer getting any value for your effort.
They call it “the law of diminishing returns”. Pollack
Pollack painting below Source: https://blog.artsper.com/en/a-closer-look/10-things-know-jackson-pollock/
The reality is so much art exists today and design that it is more challenging to be original in thought and process. In addition, we are inventing new methods to create design from 3D printing to robotic self-directed robotics. Case in point, pre-programmed robots are carving out life-like statuary rivaling Michelangelo's greatest works.
Source below: https://nationworldnews.com/we-dont-need-another-michelangelo-in-italy-its-robots-turn-to-sculpt/
Source below: https://nationworldnews.com/we-dont-need-another-michelangelo-in-italy-its-robots-turn-to-sculpt/
Design can often represent a collage of past inspiration that can indeed make a nouveau statement, push ideation forward, especially true in fashion.
Many haute couture fashion shows and the style that is shown on the runway are never intended to be ready-to-wear but merely exquisite mastery of concept to push the envelop and inspire.
Yet as designers, if such is the intended end result, then knowing where the textiles can be repurposed or sent to learn fine millinery technique or couture is the new thinking that can stave off one-off couture to benefit many.
Source: https://www.vogue.com/article/the-reshaping-of-couture-fall-2021-season-analysis
Many haute couture fashion shows and the style that is shown on the runway are never intended to be ready-to-wear but merely exquisite mastery of concept to push the envelop and inspire.
Yet as designers, if such is the intended end result, then knowing where the textiles can be repurposed or sent to learn fine millinery technique or couture is the new thinking that can stave off one-off couture to benefit many.
Source: https://www.vogue.com/article/the-reshaping-of-couture-fall-2021-season-analysis
The Red House- UK is the "opus" of William Morris's (1834-96) mastery of the natural world in wall paper designs personified alongside his select entourage of accomplished artisans/craftsmen. Morris and his entourage work was too costly and timely for the masses to enjoy which inevitably ended their aspiration to call out industrial period of mass production of stamped "sameness' in design with little to no creativity and artistry exhibited.
A well-meaning effort to propel good design to great design, yet when only "Designed by a few...for a few" it was not enough to sustain the creativity crusade.
One can see the patterned ceiling of Morris' design below and how the pattern remains refreshingly modern, as great design work remains timeless.
Purposeful voids are as important as filled space. Mozart once famously stated “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.”
Source: https://www.renndesigns.com/blogs/inspiration/the-red-house-william-morris-in-his-element
A well-meaning effort to propel good design to great design, yet when only "Designed by a few...for a few" it was not enough to sustain the creativity crusade.
One can see the patterned ceiling of Morris' design below and how the pattern remains refreshingly modern, as great design work remains timeless.
Purposeful voids are as important as filled space. Mozart once famously stated “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.”
Source: https://www.renndesigns.com/blogs/inspiration/the-red-house-william-morris-in-his-element
Naturally, not every effort a design created can and will be timeless great design, but a concerted effort to think outcome and output from a sustainable perspective of functionality vs. discard once viewed is needed installation and experimental artwork pieces included.
Image sources: https://trendland.com/luiz-philippe-stone-mosaic-suitcases/
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2017/02/experimental-cutlery/
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2017/02/experimental-cutlery/
Albert Einstein said “Make things as simple as possible but no simpler”.
Sometimes in seeking inspiration we may find it is amongst the classic designs that we find a true platform to springboard great design from.
In many instances, a classic is not in need of an update...
Consider the summer ice cream cone of vanilla-not all that plain as many fans will say just GREAT! ice cream :)
Sometimes in seeking inspiration we may find it is amongst the classic designs that we find a true platform to springboard great design from.
In many instances, a classic is not in need of an update...
Consider the summer ice cream cone of vanilla-not all that plain as many fans will say just GREAT! ice cream :)