DOI issue:
The international Studio (October, 1907)
DOI article:Haney, James Parton: The designer's approach to his problem
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28252#0495
The Designer s Approach to His Problem
FIGURE 8
ADAPTATION OF DESIGN TO FUNCTION
The third principle requires that the design be
appropriate to the form decorated. This, in other
words, means that the decoration must be suited
to the purpose of the object, its use and station.
Four statements follow which indicate the manner
in which such propriety is to be secured, (i) The
decoration should assist in explaining the function
or use of the form. (2) The extent of the decoration
should be conditioned by the decorative service of
the form. (3) The decoration should make no
undue plea for attention. (4) Material beautiful in
itself should not have its beauty disguised by
pattern.
1. The decoration should assist in explaining the
junction or use oj the jorm.
(a) As has already been said, the decoration most
appropriate to any form is inherent in the structure
of the form. It should not only explain that
structure, but should explain the use or service
which the form is prepared to render. The decora-
tion, therefore, of the simplest square or triangle
should say whether such figure is to lie upon some
surface, is to hang, stand, or support some weight.
If such requirement is observed, the design will
not seem to be added to the form, but will appear,
as it should appear, by right, foreseen from the
earliest stage of its conception.
Forms subject to some strain should have the
fact of such tension expressed in the decoration.
The claw of a table leg should express the force
which grips the floor, while the decoration upon
the top of the same leg should make plain to the
observer (by upward pushing curves) that the leg
is staunchly and easily serving its purpose.
Fig. 11 a shows a clay tile with a radiate pattern
of leaves which move equally in all directions.
Such design is suited to a horizontal surface, while
that shown in Fig. nb (a wood block to be printed
on a curtain) has an upward movement appropriate
to a vertical surface. Both forms are square, but
the decoration serves to show how different is the
use to be made of each. Fig. nc shows the square
as a jeweled watch-fob made to hang vertically
and to express in its every line the fact that it is
suspended from a point above.
2. The extent oj the decoration should he con-
ditioned by the decorative service oj the jorm.
Whatever decoration is applied must always be
subordinate to utility. If the object decorated has
its use interfered with by ornament, then the
design is inappropriate. A form which must be
cleansed frequently, as a table-knife, must not have
its handle fretted with pattern difficult to keep
clean and soon destroyed by frequent rubbing.
The footstool, always below the level of the eye,
should not have its legs carved into ornaments,
never to be seen, but constantly to be subject to
the wear and tear of service.
In general it may be said that the more work an
CXLI
FIGURE 8
ADAPTATION OF DESIGN TO FUNCTION
The third principle requires that the design be
appropriate to the form decorated. This, in other
words, means that the decoration must be suited
to the purpose of the object, its use and station.
Four statements follow which indicate the manner
in which such propriety is to be secured, (i) The
decoration should assist in explaining the function
or use of the form. (2) The extent of the decoration
should be conditioned by the decorative service of
the form. (3) The decoration should make no
undue plea for attention. (4) Material beautiful in
itself should not have its beauty disguised by
pattern.
1. The decoration should assist in explaining the
junction or use oj the jorm.
(a) As has already been said, the decoration most
appropriate to any form is inherent in the structure
of the form. It should not only explain that
structure, but should explain the use or service
which the form is prepared to render. The decora-
tion, therefore, of the simplest square or triangle
should say whether such figure is to lie upon some
surface, is to hang, stand, or support some weight.
If such requirement is observed, the design will
not seem to be added to the form, but will appear,
as it should appear, by right, foreseen from the
earliest stage of its conception.
Forms subject to some strain should have the
fact of such tension expressed in the decoration.
The claw of a table leg should express the force
which grips the floor, while the decoration upon
the top of the same leg should make plain to the
observer (by upward pushing curves) that the leg
is staunchly and easily serving its purpose.
Fig. 11 a shows a clay tile with a radiate pattern
of leaves which move equally in all directions.
Such design is suited to a horizontal surface, while
that shown in Fig. nb (a wood block to be printed
on a curtain) has an upward movement appropriate
to a vertical surface. Both forms are square, but
the decoration serves to show how different is the
use to be made of each. Fig. nc shows the square
as a jeweled watch-fob made to hang vertically
and to express in its every line the fact that it is
suspended from a point above.
2. The extent oj the decoration should he con-
ditioned by the decorative service oj the jorm.
Whatever decoration is applied must always be
subordinate to utility. If the object decorated has
its use interfered with by ornament, then the
design is inappropriate. A form which must be
cleansed frequently, as a table-knife, must not have
its handle fretted with pattern difficult to keep
clean and soon destroyed by frequent rubbing.
The footstool, always below the level of the eye,
should not have its legs carved into ornaments,
never to be seen, but constantly to be subject to
the wear and tear of service.
In general it may be said that the more work an
CXLI