In Niels Diffrient's TED Talk he showcases an office chair that he designed. When walking the audience through his design he emphasizes its functionality. This speaks to how functionality is really all a design is. There is a problem and a design is created to solve that problem. Sometimes the problem is widely acknowledged, but sometimes that problem isn't noticed until it's solved.
By this logic, a designs merit is based on how well it solves the problem it is meant to, but this is not always the case. Most designs are mundane things that fade into the background of day to day life, like a chair. It is when these designs are not even acknowledged that they have truly accomplished their goals. This can also be seen in how similar designs for objects like these are. Nobody really reinvents the office chair, they all usually have the similar features: height adjustment, reclining, back support and cushions. It is how these fundamental features are implemented that leads to variations in design.
By this logic, a designs merit is based on how well it solves the problem it is meant to, but this is not always the case. Most designs are mundane things that fade into the background of day to day life, like a chair. It is when these designs are not even acknowledged that they have truly accomplished their goals. This can also be seen in how similar designs for objects like these are. Nobody really reinvents the office chair, they all usually have the similar features: height adjustment, reclining, back support and cushions. It is how these fundamental features are implemented that leads to variations in design.
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