At the beginning of my journey through great design, I believed that ease and mindlessness in use made a product great. After my recent blog post on Cas Holman, I have found myself contradicting my philosophies. Holman's toys are not mindless to use but simple to manoeuvre for little hands, yet I believe her creations are some of the greatest designs I have come across writing this blog. Where is the line drawn at the simplicity of use?
Architecture Against Death
Madeline Gins
Madeline Gins was an amazing woman who wore many hats - poet, writer, and architect. Her forward-thinking mindset allowed her to see how changes in popular media and technologies would break down traditional boundaries and reshape everyday life. She delved deep into the relationship between the body and acts of expression, believing that these actions had the power to transform us, rather than just represent us.
Arakawa
Arakawa was an incredible artist who was well-known for his stunning paintings, drawings, and prints. He was also an innovative architect, creating unique and inspiring structures that captivated the imagination. As one of the earliest practitioners of the international conceptual art movement of the 1960s, Arakawa was always pushing the boundaries of what was possible. When he moved to New York from Japan in 1961, he began creating thought-provoking works that used systems of words and signs to investigate the mechanics of human perception and knowledge. It was amazing to see how he highlighted these concepts through his art and brought attention to the intricacies of the human mind.
Reversible Destiny Lofts
Easy is boring. Easy meaning something that doesn't engage your thinking. Arakawa and Madeline Gins formed a thinking group called Architecture Against Death. Their core idea was that if life becomes predictable, it can turn you into a zombie. In 2005, they curated an exhibition called Reversible Destiny Lofts, where they challenged the status quo by asking questions like "Why do floors have to be flat?" and "What if you had to pay attention while walking?" They also questioned the use of rectilinear corners. The exhibition was intended to provoke thought and encourage people to be more aware of their surroundings. According to their philosophy, staying young and keeping our minds active requires us to remain engaged with the world around us and question the normalities or 'easiness' of use.
My New Way of Portraying 'Easy'
I am going to take a step back and take ease of use as a category dependent on the working outcomes of using the product. Most of us are constantly in a rush, doesn't a cup of coffee taste so much better from a coffee shop than an instant packet? Doesn't it taste even better when you make it your very own particular way? There's something magical in things taking time, it is a process which not only gives us a sense of achievement but creates memories and empathetic relationships with products. I now believe that we shouldn't always want to be too comfortable and reliant on products that do the job with one button, what about three buttons and a chute? Sounds much more exciting! This sparks a memory from an Ian Callum event I attended earlier this year (see related posts). During his lecture, he talked about his dislike for LCD touchscreens replacing buttons on a car's dashboard. He not only mentioned the safety concerns associated with this trend but also how it results in all the same buttons being replaced by an app library of identical-looking buttons. Despite the crowded appearance of a dashboard with physical buttons, using different buttons for different features within the car was not only intuitive (as you would know which button to reach for while driving), but also offered a variety in the tactility of the buttons. For instance, one could be a slider while another could be an SPST switch, making the process of turning your A/C on a little more exciting and surprisingly quicker!
I believe that this assessment category in my search for great design will be very conditional, is it supposed to be quick and easy to use? Or does it have the magic feeling process alongside being designed in an intuitive way? It's not as easy as it looks!
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