The essence of the design – what is it?
The other day, a guest post came to me from Viktor Fomin, blog author Krufok, of the chronicle of the living mind of a copywriter philosopher.
To begin with, in many professional fields of activity, many things are so obvious that they are given a little attention. It is believed that it is so simple that there is nowhere else. And if someone asks to clarify the meaning of such a phenomenon, finding that universal fame does not guarantee universal understanding, it will either be considered a joke, or a set of their own conclusions will be dumped on a person quickly.
In our opinion, one of such “unexplored” phenomena is the concept of design. This phenomenon is amorphous, not amenable to a clear definition, and that is why its meaning has long since been lost due to secondary signs.
Let’s define what design is.
This is not just graphics or ergonomics. Design is a utilitarian principle, revealing the benefits that a person’s life, cultural and subject environment brings to him.
We thought a bit and decided that the “design” is now evenly distributed between viral marketing (the red cloth is design, and the bull is consumer); a race with obstacles (to get to the idea that the design embodies, you need to jump through understanding the logo, corporate identity, excessive embellishment, etc.); and absolutely sincere conviction that design is a wrapper around something. The value of this “something” is leveled in most cases, and the wrapper begins to “wrap”, instead of opening and serving correctly.
VIRAL DESIGN MARKETING
As a first example, we can cite the famous Lebedev studio mug with an @ shaped pen, and a much more famous iPad. We note that we are not going to (and there’s no sense from this until we do something “loud”) to criticize people who have earned a lot of money with a mug and a tablet. We ourselves do not disdain viral marketing – it is often the most effective way to quickly and widely distribute the necessary information. We simply mean that the form for people turned out to be more important than the content, which, in principle, marketers wanted.
If you ever got into the hands of that very circle @, you might have a seditious idea that the circle is .. uncomfortable.
No, it can not be. This is Lebedev Studio! This, perhaps, says everything. Brand scandalous fame plus something that differs from the generally accepted form – design, get it and sign it.
And even the fact that you purchased a piece of ceramics with cracks and jagged edges, cast in an unnamed Chinese factory, does not prevent you from rightfully be proud of your new mug – let it fly on a coffee break, like the flag of Amundsen in Antarctica, showing your undeniable creativity.
About the iPad, perhaps, we will not speak in detail. Apple has worked for many years on the image of stray aliens, as a result, the technical characteristics of their products are of little interest to most – the main thing is to sparkle with an apple in crowded places. In a sense, they are pioneers – they do something, and the rest of the world, including competitors, is watching, holding its breath – will it shoot? If so, then the conveyor starts, which stamps the same as the Yablochniki, only “cooler”.
Although the fans of the apple from this, it seems, neither cold nor hot. For them, Apple’s design has long become a kind of shield that discourages any intrigues of ill-wishers.
THE WORD AT THE FENCE IS IMPORTANT THAN THE FENCE
The race with obstacles in design reigns in the field of visual presentation. This is when all sorts of flowers-ryushechki, as well as stunning combinations of shape and color block the main thing – the idea.
For example: we are confused in the buttons, trying to order something in the online store.
We repeat: the design should not be presented as a separate presentation of something. Design – this is part of this “something”, an organic component. As advertising should not be smarter than the client, so the design should not resemble a smart blonde, next to which a nondescript product is minced. In this case, the client is offered to play a detective story, and to find who is in charge of this couple.
Yes, we recognize that there is graphic design, there is interior design, there is industrial design, and in general design of all areas of human existence. But all this is only an approach to the overall design, the essence of which is to link the form and content, turning them into a single whole.
Thanks to the author! I remind you that it was Victor (aka Krufoko). It turned out very cool – and it touches on such interesting nuances of design, which, I confess, I didn’t think much.
Take for example the development of a web site – often when discussing the issue of functionality with a client, we focus on future promotion as a very important part of launching an Internet project. But at the same time, many customers still require a beautiful “design wrapper,” putting into this concept almost more value and importance than the product or company itself being demonstrated.
