Lenses to Interpret the Visual Form of Products and Why it Matters

One of the elements that separate humanity from other species is our ability to create. That’s not true just for the designers, makers, artists, and chefs among us. Since long ago, even as far as 3 million years ago, humans have been creating tools (Harmand 2015). Different civilizations created artifacts that would help them in their lives. Today, there are many behaviors and outcomes that have an influence in how we consider the physical form of objects. At what point did people start making conscious decisions based on the value of form?

I believe that the earliest milestones that drove humans to paying attention to form is the need for identification. As societies needed to differentiate their belongings, space, and tools from those of others, there was an emergence of new distinguishing features and ornamentation. Even today, that need for identification is important as we all seek to define some element of who we are (e.g. what we believe in, and what our tastes are) with the objects we own. Design and form are not just aesthetics, they have a function, tell a story, and create meaning for all people.

The form of an object has major elements, like its shape and surfaces, and minor elements, such as radii and parting lines. Similar to adjectives and adverbs in a sentence, these details work together and communicate the style, story, function, and intention of an object. The form language of an object encompasses those details into a system that can be used in one, or multiple, similar products. When designing a product, we can ask: How can we determine what the form language should be and if it has met its goals?

Considering the process of how objects are created today, the following paradigm represents a system of lenses by which one can see the requirements and then assess the form in the objects we own or are creating.

The three lenses are: HUMAN, TECHNOLOGY, and BUSINESS.

Figure 1: Factors of Form Language

By accurately focusing these lenses by understanding these aspects of a product, one creates a clearer vision of what a product should look like beyond the pure aesthetics. The following explanations are only examples of considerations for each category and are not the only factors to consider. They represent the types of values that might matter when making this decision and in review processes.

HUMAN: How do human interests and values affect this product?

This lens includes the humanist and emotional considerations as these objects are ultimately purchased, used, and influence the lives of humans. These issues can be individual or societal.

SOCIAL ISSUES:

There is a growing priority on sustainable and eco-friendly initiatives. Trends continue in urbanization and smaller living spaces, therefore requiring modularity and multipurpose objects. In recent years we’ve seen purchasing trends change with a desire for more minimal living and decluttering (Chiu 2020, 11, 93). Now in 2020, we are witnessing growing concerns about safety and equality in the fights against the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic racism. Important design influences can come by considering things like accessibility and reuse.

USER NEEDS:

With a clear understanding of who the users and customers are, the true usage of the object, we make critical decisions on what a final product will look like. This makes a huge impact on the form considering elements like ergonomics, storage, and frequency of use (Kahane 2015, 37).

AESTHETICS / TASTE:

Everyone has a personal taste that can drive decisions between some items. Considering other items your customer owns can help guide the needed colors, materials, finishes, and forms that will best represent themselves (Kahane 2015, 37).

TECHNOLOGY: How might the form match the available or necessary technological developments?

Technology has become essential in modern manufacturing, but in older times it would have included techniques and craftsmanship in order to produce a product. Technology is constantly evolving around us and should be considered in every product’s final design.

MATERIALS:

The form can be impacted due to required or desired materials. Certain materials are rigid while others are more flexible; the properties of materials can dictate minimum thickness and size. As the field of material science grows, more options are invented and should be re-evaluated.

MANUFACTURING:

Details in the form will need to accommodate the manufacturing processes for each component and assembly process for final products. Parting lines are important when considering how to assemble multiple parts but also for tooling requirements. In addition, new manufacturing methods, especially additive manufacturing (3D printing), has enabled previously impossible designs.

ELECTRONICS:

As digital technology has developed and the size of electronic components has decreased, the form can take on thinner profiles to achieve the same performance. Alternatively, including more components or sensors can dictate packaging sizes and requirements.

BUSINESS: How do business decisions influence the options and requirements for form?

Ultimately, there are business considerations that go into selling and using. These can provide constraints or motivations depending on how they match up to the other lenses.

BRAND:

As a product builds a new or existing brand, it should match the brand language and fuel what the brand stands for. That can mean adopting graphic systems and colors, or including specific features and guidelines. In some cases, the form can strongly indicate the differences between two very similar brands.

COST:

Budgets matter with all the products that are purchased and primarily is shown through manufacturing and materials. Cost is a large driver for other considerations. In order to maintain low costs, design must achieve cheap manufacturing processes; in contrast, if an item will be retailed for a higher price, there are more options and typically higher expectations in quality or uniqueness.

TOOL:

For highly industrialized items or where performance is essential, the form of an object will need to prioritize its functionality, and, if needed, maintenance. The concept of “form follows function” can be executed to different degrees depending on its purpose. This is evident in consumer products from items in the kitchen to the garage. A professional chef will not be driven to attractive products that won’t perform while an amateur cook may be more interested in matching kitchen tools that are not used as often.

ENTERPRISE:

If everyone in an enterprise understands the roles, requirements, and requests from all its stakeholders, businesses will be poised to make the best decisions. In a world driven by collaboration, the values of an enterprise can impact the successful creation of form. Lack of understanding can cause delays, missed opportunities, or failures. This can be critical in new products today in a very competitive market place.

Figure 2: Examples of Factors of Form Language Direction

When it comes to purchasing or using different objects, these elements are just as critical. The following questions can guide the first steps into looking through these lenses.

HUMAN:

Does it match our personal taste? Does it have an ergonomic fit for our personal use? How do our personal goals or ethics align with this product? Does it resonate with us on a personal level or satisfy an emotional need? Does it communicate our values (e.g. environmentally friendly)?

TECHNOLOGY:

Does it have the technological functionality we need? Has it been engineered to perform as we desire? Do the materials or manufacturing processes set it apart from other options? Will it perform the required purpose reliably over time?

BUSINESS:

Does the brand matter? Does the brand value match the cost of the product? Is it required in order to perform other business-related tasks? Does the brand’s design language tell you anything about how well the object will function?

By looking at design through a combination of these lenses, and not just by our own expertise or taste, we have a better way to critique if something is well designed. As we learn more about design, help in creating new designs, or use other designed objects, understanding these elements will help in reaching our end goals.

References:

Chiu, Emma, ed. 2020. “The Future 100:2020.” Wunderman Thompson. https://intelligence.wundermanthompson.com/trend-reports/the-future-100-2020/.

Harmand, Sonia, Jason E. Lewis, Craig S. Feibel, Christopher J. Lepre, Sandrine Prat, Arnaud Lenoble, Xavier Boës, et al. 2015. “3.3-Million-Year-Old Stone Tools from Lomekwi 3, West Turkana, Kenya.” Nature 521 (7552): 310–15. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14464.

Kahane, Josiah. 2015. Form of Design. BIS Publishers.