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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Aesthetic ideals, part II
Functionalism & UsabilityProvocation & Criticism
Playfulness, Intrigue & Challenge
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Aesthetic ideals
Coherency
Emotions & pleasurePragmatism, Somaesthetics and tangibility
Functionalism & UsabilityProvocation & CriticismPlayfulness, Intrigue & Challenge
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Functionalism & Usability
This last year you have been trained to design functional, usable artifacts...
...but what is the story behind this?
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
19th century: Mechanisation
USA, 19th century– A culture of mass production– Increasing mechanisation
Trends– Transparent construction– Ease of use– Durable– Economic– Versatility
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
The rise of functionalism
Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia 1876The Great Exhibition London 1851
– Showing designs– Sharing knowledge– Inspire– Spur competition– Start discussion
Crystal Palace, London
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
The rise of functionalism
Slow shift from ornament and hidden constructiontowards versatiliyStatue of Liberty 1886, Eiffel Tower 1887-89, Bergere chair early 19th century, Thonets "Konsumstuhl Nr. 14" 1859
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Functionalism
“It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, of all things physical and metaphysical, of all things human and all things superhuman, of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul, that the life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function. This is the law.”
– Louis H. Sullivan 1903 in “The tall office building artistically considered”
You’ve already heard this in relation to anotherideal – which one?
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Modernism (peak 1910-1930)
International movement united by the ideas that– Art needed a new place in society ...and hence artists too,
had a new place and task– Design should be adapted to mass production– Form expressing only function and construction– Universal forms (vs selling forms); an idea that still is a
principle that never seems to work, hence year models and new designs
– The abstract should be the ideal, absence of ornaments– Light, cleanness, hygienic, new
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Modernism
Top left: Computer graphic of famous chair designed by Marcel Breuer (16th July 2006, Borowski)
Top right: T-Ford. Henry Ford first believed this was the perfect car, that it did not need improvement.
Bottom right: Painting by Piet Mondrian
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
The rise of functionalism
Der Deutsche Werkbund (1907-1934, 1950-)– Work Federation containing artists, architects, designers,
manufacturing companies, industrialists and journalists– "Vom Sofakissen zum Städtebau" (from sofa cushions to
city-building) – Exhibitions, catalogues showing ”good” design
Aimed to ensure product quality– Technically and artistically– Increase competitiveness of German products
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Functionalism in Germany
Clash in Cologne!!! Where was design in Germanygoing?
Hermann Muthesius– Sachlichkeit (practical,
usable)– Clean design, no mixture of
styles– Typisierung; the creation
of archetype products and prototypes for a streamlined mass production
Henry van de Velde, Walther Gropius
– Archetypes cannot be created form scratch, they evolve
– Forms and products should be the result of the designer’s artistic vision
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Functionalism in Germany
Clash in Cologne: Both sides wanted quality and ease of use, but disagreed on the means to get it
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
The two most influential industrial design schoolswere German...
Functionalism spreading...
Bauhaus (1919-1933)– Uniting art & craft– Students should learn a
craft and applied art– Learning by doing– Gesamtkunstwerk; Bau
und Bühne
Ulm (1953-1968)– Uniting design and
science– Design seens as a new
discipline = No art teaching
– Cooperation with industry– The Morality of Objects
Teachers, students & practice spread world wide...
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Functionalism & Usability...
Multifunctionality...good or bad?
And what’s with the non-definition of aesthetics!?
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Functionlism in IxD = usability
Usability strong ideal in HCI / interaction design, especially GUI design
– Norman– Nielsen– Cooper– Preece– ...the lot
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Functionalism in IxD
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Functionalism in IxD
Information Visualization– Human perception steers function– Tufte: ”Confusion and clutter are failures of design, not
attributes of information.”– Spence
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Provocation & Criticism in art
Dadaism (1916-1922)“What we need are strong straightforward, precise works which will be forever misunderstood. Logic is a complication. Logic is always false. […] DADA; every object, all objects, feelings and obscurities, every apparition and the precise shock of parallel lines […] DADA; the absolute and indisputable belief in every god that is an immediate product of spontaneity…
– Tristan Tzara in “Dada manifesto”
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Provocation & Criticism in art
(dadaist poem of the 1st paragraph from the course home page)
of what functionalism pragmatism is artifacts is interaction? in follows to ideals, like notion it which in we “form “in”interaction – aesthetic the is this experience as behaviors explore
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Provocation & Criticism in art
Dadaist MarcelDuchamp asking
– What is art?– Who decides?– Who is the artist?
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Provocation in Art
Andy Warhol– Again: Who is the artist?
Used assistants
What's great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest.
– Andy Warhol in “The philosophy of Andy Warhol: from A to B and back again.”
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Criticism in ID
The-anti functionalist movement; functionalism and trends madedesign space narrow –revolution
Inspiration from sub cultures; youth cartoons, pop culture
Desiging that which peopleactually wanted, as opposed to what one assumed they wanted
Ingo
Mau
rer,
Bulb
196
6
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Criticism in ID
Furniure design in the 1970ies, Playfulness, organic shapes, mixing materials, freedomand...plastic fantastic!
Vitr
a, V
erne
r Pan
ton,
195
9 -1
999
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Criticism in ID
Banal design (1970ies)
– Non-designed everyday objects
– Banal forms could give impulses to design.
– Spokesman: Alessandro Mendini
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Provocation & Criticism in ID
Memphis group (1980-1988): Anti designSenior architect Ettore Sotsass + young designers
– Break all rules!– New materials, mixes, no discussion on form or color– ”quoting from suburbia” kitsch, neon colors, gold– Very much anti ”nordic design”
Exploded at design exhibition in Milan 1981– "you were in one sense repulsed by the objects, or I was,
but also immediately freed by the sort of total rule-breaking.“ (Jasper Morrison)
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Memphis
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Memphis
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Provocation in art
På Hollender: The Pål Hollender Foundation for Ethically or Aesthetically Offended Consumers of Culture
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Criticism/comment in art
Mikael Lundberg – The twenty-three– Lifeline
(www.mikaellundberg.se)
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Criticism in IxD
STATIC! A design project about saving energy
“…use need not only be about utility and ease of use, but also about critical reflection through objects at hand.”
– Backlund, S. et al (2006) Static! The Aesthetics of Energy in Everyday Things . In Proceedings of Design Research Society International Conference 2006.
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Criticism in IxD
STATIC! Designs...
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Criticism in IxD
Dunne and Raby– Farady chair– Tuneable cities– The Pillow– Thief of Affections– ...other work
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Criticism in IxD
Slow Technology; anti-efficiency, pro reflection. Mental rest in the form of reflection.
“Slow technology is not about making technology invisible, but about exposing technology in a way that encourages people to reflect and think about it. This design challenge is, among other things, a call for more conscious aesthetics in technology…”
– Hallnäs, L., and Redström, J. (2001) Slow Technology –Designing for Reflection , Personal and Ubiquitous Computing January 2001, Volume 5 Issue 3.
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Criticism in IxD
Slow Technology projects– Top left: Doorbells– Bottom left & right. Information appliance; printed fabric
in combination with radio
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Playfulness, intrigue, challenge
We’ve beenplaying games forever!
First reference to chess, India 625
Hnefatafl; the Viking version of chess
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Playfulness in art
Guiseppe Arcimboldo, Summer and Spring (1573)
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Playfulness in art
Bartolomeo Ammanati: Allegory of Winter (16th century)
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Playfulness and intrigue in art
Op Art (optical art): making use of optical illusions
Left: A sculpture by Victor Vasarely, Left: Bridget Riley; Movement in Squares (1961)
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Playfulness & intrigue in art/lit
...my book
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Playfulness and intrigue in IxD
The Interactive Quilt; Slow Technology.... But also intriguing!
– Ambiguity the key
“Thus ambiguity is a powerful tool for designers to raise topics or ask questions while renouncing the possibility of dictating their answers. By supporting this balance, ambiguity not only represents a useful resource, but a powerful sign of respect for users as well.”
– Bill Gaver et al (2003) ”Ambiguity as a Resource for Design”
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Playfulness & intrigue in IxD
Countless examples, e.g. Bembo’s Zoowww.bemboszoo.com
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Playfulness & intrigue in IxD
Intrigue BIG TIME!!!http://www.ted.com/talks/golan_levin_ted2009.html
– 13:43 ”Snout” (Watch the entire talk for more stunningexamples!!!)
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Playfulness & challenge in IxD
Any computer game ever made...!
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Playfulness & Challenge in IxD
Tempting challenge!“…without sufficient challenge an activity can be perceived as boring, or soothing, or calming or “nice”but hardly entertaining. Then again, “challenge” is to be interpreted widely. Also the level of challenge must suit the user and the situation; [what fits a child does not necessarily amuse its parents]. The adult may be more entertained by trying to solve a cross-word, however not when being tired and nervous […]. In order to be entertaining, the challenge has to be tempting to that user at that moment.”
– Sus Lundgren in ”Facets of Fun: On the Design of Computer Augmented Entertainment Artifacts (2006)
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Desiging playfulness?
Björk & Holopainen: Patterns in Game Design
– Game(play) patterns; the buildingblocks of games
Salen & Zimmerman: Rules of Play– Theoretical framework; "game design
schemas“ e.g. Games as context for social play, games as storytelling etc.
Fullerton: Game Design Workshop, – Desiging a game from start to end
Kramer: What makes a game good– http://www.thegamesjournal.com/articles/WhatMakesaGame.shtml
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Why aesthetic ideal?
A basis for design decisions– May have several but they must be ranked! E.g. if
designing a computer game, gameplay can be aboutplayfulness whereas the GUI for it can be functional
– A way to reach coherency
May differ from project to project!
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Ideals... No clear partitions!
Playful or emotion?
Criticism or emotion?
Functional or intriguing?
Tangible or pleasing?
Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Concept map... again
ExampleCoherency Emotions & pleasurePragmatism, Somaesthetics and tangibilityProvocation & CriticismFunctionalism & UsabilityPlayfulness, Intrigue & Challenge
What are they? The basic ideas? Are some closerrelated than others? Is there som kind of scale; if so what’s the axis? Projects combining ideals?
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Sus Lundgren fall 2009
Concept map: the IxD-courses