Textures and shapes. That's what design is mostly about. Well, yes, functionality is important too… but that's not always necessarily part of the game, so we'll stick with the first two: pleasure is the most important part of design. Pleasure for the eyes and for the skin. The ultimate objective of design is to make things appealing, attractive… so in a way we can say that design is related to fitness and cosmetics. And also that it's something very human, only human (when did anyone see ‘cool nests’ or ‘minimalistic lairs‘?).
That is possibly why we get this amazing sculpture in front of London's Design Museum, a designer's head, just as full with mechanisms and measurements that it can’t hide even on the outside. But of course, it's much worse than anyone could imagine! Just have a look inside of it and all the cogs, gears and connexions will overwhelm you! We all humans are complex, but none as much as designers! (and architects). They need to keep an engineer's mind together with an artist mind, and they just have the same room as anyone else! That's something I respect and envy, seriously!
Eduardo Paolozzi, “Head of invention”, Bronze, 1989.
From inside the museum, I enjoyed most the tribute to some print fonts, again sculpture-wise. I heard once that Helvetica was the most loved font among graphic designers, and having itself creating its own initial with proper words and a cool shape seemed totally genius to me. Also the Kabel creation, much more informal, much more unknown, just as beautiful.
Jon Fidler, “Alphabet of Alphabets” – letters H and K, 3D prints, 2012.
There's something intricate in designer's minds. Tempting. Worth trying. I'll buy myself one.
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