modernism

Monday, January 16, 2017

Eyeglasses are not just for seeing

One of the most famous dictums associated with Modernist design is that "Form follows function."  Typically, what modernists mean by this expression is that the design of a product should be dictated by the job it is to perform for users—and nothing else!

However, Modernists tended to take a narrow view of what a function is.  In their view, this was limited to physical services that a product might perform for its users. 

Friday, August 19, 2016

How IT products serve social goals

The slogan "form follows function" has long been associated with a minimalist view of good design.  On the positive side, it has been used to mean that designs should be configured to fulfil their intended goals.  On the negative side, it has been used to limit those goals to so-called basic needs only, to the exclusion of social goals.