There is a looooong list of things I still have yet to learn. It’s not as long as it once was…but LONG nevertheless. One thing that has been most recently added to the list is Design – particularly in architecture and industrial design. Of late, I have not only been piqued by the overall look or shape of a building, but have found great inspiration in the juxtaposition of materials, the the confluence of theory and practice, and especially the way some spaces so clearly and remarkably demonstrate the designer’s ability to see not only the house or chair or fixture or computer, but to view their work in terms of art, and place the value of form on par with the value of function.
While materials have become more sophisticated, less expensive, and easier to access, great design is neither new nor revolutionary. In fact, it can be argued that each modern stage of design is the direct result of the design trends and lessons that preceded it. Also, modern design of any era has at its disposal the cutting-edge technology to aid it in its style, beauty, and efficiency. Electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering have never been more advanced and the benefits we reap because of this propell modern design into a different stratosphere completely. From a technological aspect, this allows us to carry supercomputers in our pockets that not only hold thousands of songs, but futuristic applications along with wireless voice communication…and we don’t even blink at it. From a design perspective, it means that the profile of a faucet can cut through the air of a kitchen with a gentle sweep, or a stark slice, and be made with leak-proof washerless fittings or touch-sensitive, capacative switches. No-slam drawers in kitchens and seats on toilets are benefits of this modern access, just as are new textures that result from new engineering, rendering, and manufacturing methods.
This is not to say that newer is always better; on the contrary, this is to say that BETTER is always better. Sometimes that’s old-world furniture honed with hand-tooled craftsmanship, sometimes that’s a laptop machined from one solid piece of aluminum. The point is, thoughtful design when made real with the highest quality materials can evoke something more than pedestrian utility, it can awake something within us…something that is part curiosity, part drive for perfection, part art appreciation. In fact, it’s the very thing that moved man to first draw on walls, control fire, carve beautiful things and build cities. It, in some ways, represents the most elemental parts of being human – because unlike any other creature on the planet, as we have evolved, so too have we made art and detail a part of each step. Keep an eye out over the next day for places where beauty, design and form meet the function of something…and if you need a head start, I humbly offer a few of my favorites:
The LED headlights on the new Audi.
Literally, almost anything Apple makes.
The lines, materials and function of Nespresso machines (see Day 3’s article).
Any hour of This Old House on PBS.
And my weekly favorite; check out the furniture, accessories, and ESPECIALLY the houses, at http://blueantstudio.blogspot.com
From Left to Write 