Design 11 form & function

form & function

Function is the essential act that an object, process or idea should carry out.. A house is meant as a space to live in, protecting us from the environment.

A house is meant as a space to live in, protecting us from the environment.

For example: a car should drive, a fork should lift, a seatbelt should contain, a spiritual idea should inspire, etc to move to inspire to lift

to move

to inspire

to lift

Form is the way the object, process or idea was designed so that it would work.

way the object, process or idea was designed so that it would work.

Sometimes form is not as important as the function.

form is not as important as the function.

Sometimes form is as important as function.

form is as important as function.

And sometimes form overrides function.

form overrides function.

the form and function relationship are present in most things.

are present in most things.

Even though the Form changes, some things do essentially the same job (function).

things do essentially the same job (function).

design is affected by taste, function & materials.

here are design differences in one material.

An idea like Patriotism can be communicated through variations of the same Design. Function is the same, form changes.

through variations of the same Design. Function is the same, form changes.

Design is also a very important component in the telling of a story, especially history. The way that history (function) is communicated (form) will impact how we are affected by it.

important component in the telling of a story, especially history.

The way that history (function) is communicated (form) will impact how we are affected by it.

We often think design relates only to fashion, or cool objects but, in fact, design relates to everything. Even the darkest parts of our collective human experience. Since Remembrance Day is very soon, we are going to look at WW2 through the lens of design.

It is an awful story... of death, inhumanity, cruelty and heroism. It is a story of the awful parts of our history.

of death, inhumanity, cruelty and heroism. It is a story of the awful parts of our history.

The story is the function, the way in which this story is communicated with be considered the form.

the way in which this story is communicated with be considered the form.

Form #1 Maus “ The graphic novel as a whole took thirteen years to complete. It recounts the struggle of Spiegelman's father to survive the Holocaust as a Polish Jew and draws largely on his recollections of his experiences.” A non-traditional graphic style novel that won the Pulizter Prize.

Maus “ The graphic novel as a whole took thirteen years to complete. It recounts the struggle of Spiegelman's father to survive the Holocaust as a Polish Jew and draws largely on his recollections of his experiences.”

A non-traditional graphic style novel that won the Pulizter Prize.

Form #2 Movies based on the story of the holocaust.

Movies based on the story of the holocaust.

Form #3 Photographs documenting the war and the holocaust. Can the images communicate effectively?

Photographs documenting the war and the holocaust. Can the images communicate effectively?

Form #4 The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Form #5 Holocaust Poetry Holocaust by Barbara Sonek We played, we laughed we were loved. We were ripped from the arms of our parents and thrown into the fire. We were nothing more than children. We had a future. We were going to be lawyers, rabbis, wives, teachers, mothers. We had dreams, then we had no hope. We were taken away in the dead of night like cattle in cars, no air to breathe smothering, crying, starving, dying. Separated from the world to be no more. From the ashes, hear our plea. This atrocity to mankind can not happen again. Remember us, for we were the children whose dreams and lives were stolen away.

Holocaust Poetry

Form #6 Personal accounts of survivors at Yad Veshem’s electronic Holocaust Memorial

Personal accounts of survivors at Yad Veshem’s electronic Holocaust Memorial