THE ART AND SCIENCE OF DESIGN
ORIGIN COLUMNIST | Zoltan David D
esign is an integral part of our culture and society, it is an
element of both the most extraordinary and the most common aspects of our daily lives.
I welcome the reader to this article and an opportunity to share with you my insights as a designer. My particular field is the art of jewelry. Often I have said that my work is half engineering and half fantasy and this brings
me to the science and art of design. Forgive me if this sounds a little scholastic, but there are so many conversations I could have about design, I thought I would start with my basic understanding and the study of design.
The four cornerstones of good design are beauty, originality,
ergonomics, and function. Beauty and originality is the art, ergonomics and function is the science.
BEAUTY: In the golden age of Greece, they had a definition for beauty, “Proportion = Balance = Beauty.” I think that is spot on. Beauty can be a very powerful force, it is what I call vitamin B for the soul, anyone who experiences beauty is instantly uplifted.
ORIGINALITY: An ethereal element that keeps us evolving, by our very nature we are attracted to new and fresh ideas that are elegant and appealing, just ask “Apple” about the value of originality.
ERGONOMICS: Here we have the interface between the user and the used. An understanding of how the user functions will direct the proper development of the design.
FUNCTION: Now that we have this beautiful, original, ergonomic design, what’s its purpose to be in existence and does it fulfill that role. In other words does the design function as intended.
With the cornerstones accounted for we can now add mystery, textures, brilliance, darkness, softness, hardness, colors, and many forms and patterns of ornamentation all from the palette of the imagination.
The design process is a skill that can be learned over time and developed to a masterful level. The ability to see proportion, have a vision, be original… that is a gift.
There is something else in the design process that holds a special place, I call it inspiration. This is what spurs the passion, the love of the journey of creativity, the lust for perfection, the motivation to settle only for the glorious goal. It is a human factor that animates the inanimate and gives it value. Inspiration is a common ground we share as we are experiencing the next great design.
I often remind myself that it was the advent of revolutionary streamlined forms of design that spurred the end of the Great Depression.
Welcome to discovering design in all things. Enjoy!
ART.
After receiving Swiss and German classical goldsmithing and design training for eight years, Zoltan David established his design studio in 1980. Since that time he has won seventeen national and international design awards, as well as being voted as one of the top 100 most influential designers of the past 30 years. He currently has his studio and gallery in Bee Cave, Texas.
www.ZOLTANDAVID.com September/October 2011
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