|
Economic mileage in simplicity: The more complex circumstances appear and the more dynamic the pace of change, the greater the appeal of simplicity. Design plays a pivotal role in achieving this effect, as what is perceived as simple on the outside creates the expectation that it will be easy and straightforward to use.
Aesthetic simplicity does not equate with brashness. Quite the contrary: its impact lies in the unobtrusive subtlety of its design, rather than its ability to make a bold fashion statement. In essence, it's about maintaining a strict eye to detail throughout the development process: Intricacies such as the radius and sweep of the lines, the proportions and material thicknesses – all of which add up to create an impression of harmony and a quality which the average user would be hard put to describe in explicit terms. These specific characteristics are not consciously perceived during normal use, for the very reason that there is nothing here to detract from the practical application.
Concentration on the details as a recipe for design success: A banal assumption admittedly. But the devil really is in the detail. When it comes down to it, the challenge lies precisely in keeping an ever watchful eye on the details, from every angle, every aspect. Precisely because there are so many reasons to trivialize them. For more than 150 years, the world of design has been all about reconciling these contradictions: This topic has been the subject of debate since as long ago as the ground-breaking developments of Thonet and AEG, and the same underlying arguments were reprised throughout all the great reform movements from Arts & Crafts through Jugendstil and the Deutscher Werkbund to Post Modernism.
The ability to focus your gaze on the smallest details amid this giant tug of war and to and doggedly concentrate on the finer points shows a special trait of character. This is where design plays the role of agitator, as it challenges all those involved to move out of their comfort zone and take a critical look at what is actually already there, developments over which we already have technical and production mastery. But the US manufacturer Apple has clearly led the way in demonstrating to the man in the street just what economic potential lies dormant in this type of design refinement.
What is meant by refinement in this context certainly does not equate to the application of added baroque icing to an already existing cake. Quite the contrary: It is about the conscious bringing together of small factors which create an unconsciously perceived edge in terms of quality. Design innovation is rooted in the focused further development of what already exists, not in adding frills.
|
The success enjoyed by Apple devices has undoubtedly awakened awareness in many people about the details of design: How thin is a object, how are its edges formed, what materials were combined in its creation, how ingenious are the details, how self-assured is the product? No matter what the product, there are surfaces that meet, operating elements that have to be integrated and a distinction to be created between moving and fixed elements. The eternal goal of the designer is to achieve harmony of overall effect, to create a cohesive unit from a diversity of structures. Anyone who understands how to bring together all these diverse needs with a new and hitherto unusual degree of detail is giving off a clear message of technical competence and aspirational leadership.
This effect is achieved to an exemplary level in Siedle's new indoor station in the detail of the small, slightly conically formed blind holes which lend the structured front surface a unique homogeneity. It is also illustrated by the distances between these recesses and the other front elements, chosen for their ability to fit unnoticed into their own allotted space. A third example is the decision not to link the sides of the housing at right angles to the front and rear, but at a slight incline: These intricacies would not be immediately obvious to most people but subtly lend a refined elegance to the whole of the body.
A smart resolution to questions of detail in design is usually found by sounding out previously accepted standards and shifting them into a slightly different focus. This creates a new aesthetic finesse which gives off a subtle message: This is a product manufactured with enormous precision and care. Whether it's a slight camber in a button which is hardly perceptible but subtly noticeable when pressed, or the finely gauged dimension of a gap to create a balance perceptible only on the subliminal level. The precision required for this calls for enormous depths of control in production, control which exudes an assurance of reliability in application. Most products are used on a daily routine basis without any deliberate attempt to attract attention. A neatly designed, uncluttered product which communicates precision signals clarity whenever fast, unconscious decisions have to be made: Users can rest easy in the knowledge that everything is under control and will involve them in minimum effort.
About the author:
Dr. René Spitz has broadcast over 300 programs on the WDR station as a design critic. He lectures in Design Theory and International Design at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences. |
 Siedle Basic
Every detail of the new indoor station has been continuously refined in the design process.
 Siedle Steel
The design has no visible mounting. Precise edges and precisely manufactured right-angles highlight the aesthetic merit of the materials.
|
|
