The field of industrial design is all about merging the concepts of form and function and creating products, from furniture and tools to glassware and containers, that serve their purposes well and are at the same time aesthetically pleasing. So what's the basic difference between an object that is well designed, and one that is poorly designed?
Murray Moss is an expert in industrial design and the owner of Moss, a unique store occupying a former gallery space in Soho, NYC. The store, which sells superbly designed objects ranging from furniture and tableware to jewelry, books and toys, is known internationally for its product selection and presentation, and serves clients ranging from design professionals to celebrities, students, and tourists. Here he explains his idea that the best-designed objects are actually articulate:
- Objects communicate.
In Moss' experience, the best-designed objects actually communicate with people. An inspired designer can create an object that is articulate; its form announces its function and it actually conveys ideas to those who interact with it.
- A linear experience.
Moss likes it when designers build priorities into their objects by taking into account what they want the user to see first and then leading them through a linear experience. When first confronted with an object, a user will understand the first idea that the designer intended to convey, and then the design will relate further ideas in a step-by-step process.
- Too many ideas spoil the design.
If a designer tries to put too many ideas into one object, they can cancel each other out. Moss likens it to bad cooking where there's too much salt, too much pepper and too much thyme, so in the end the dish doesn't taste like anything in particular.
- Designers must speak clearly.
In Moss' opinion, not all designers are articulate; many create objects that don't convey clear ideas to those who see or use them. To use a theatrical simile, it's like listening to an actor who doesn't speak clearly. You can hear the words, but you don't catch the meaning.
For more information about industrial design, check out the following organizations or websites:
Moss
www.mossonline.com/home
Core 77
core77.com
International Council of Societies of Industrial Design
www.icsid.org
Sensory Design Resource and Forum
www.senses.org.uk/new/senses
International Directory of Design
www.penrose-press.com/IDD
Bad Human Factors Designs
www.baddesigns.com/index
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