22 TUFTS OBSERVER FEBRUARY 20, 2012

intersectingform & function

ARTS

Good design a!ects our lives in a big way. It’s present in the desk we work around, the teacup we drink from,

and the space we live in. As fundamentally communicative creatures, we seek out mean-ing and intention in the objects around us, whether they are created by man or by na-ture. Antonio Gaudi, the famous Spanish Catalan architect, believed that God com-municated through design in nature, and he dedicated his life to creating buildings, churches, parks, and furniture inspired by nature’s unique geometry. If you visit any of Gaudi’s masterpieces in Barcelona, such as the Casa Vicens or the Sagrada Familia church, you can witness his attempts to pre-serve this divine communication. His archi-tecture’s epic columns resemble tree branch-es, his ribcage-shaped ra"ers are inspired by the sinews of human anatomy, and his swirl-ing ceilings mimic the spiraling of an ocean wave. Gaudi’s belief that design was a means of communication extends beyond the realm of religion for most designers today. Design is also a method of communicating to the public, whether through mass-produced products (think ikea) or through art exhibits and museum installations.

#e Japanese school of thought on de-sign is based on the communication of beau-ty. Traditional concepts of beauty include shizen, a respect for beauty found in nature, wabi sabi, an appreciation for imperfect and impermanent forms, and datsuzoku, a sense of fresh creativity and surprise. Japanese de-sign strives to achieve these ideals of beauty in order to inspire within viewers an emotional connection to art. In this way, design may be considered an art form that has aesthetic beauty, like a painting or a piece of music,

However, that is not to ignore design’s functional component. Innovative design is important because it di!ers from other art forms in one major way. Apple’s iPhone is the obvious example. #e iPhone has become so wildly successful not only for its sleek appear-ance, but also for its originality and mastery in intersecting form and function. #e preci-sion and size of the touch screen optimizes Internet browsing. Its thin frame makes it easier to slide into a back pocket than any other phone on the market.

A less obvious example: the teacup and saucer. Have you ever considered how every detail of this design combination serves a speci$c purpose? #e teacup’s handle makes

it possible to sip the tea while it’s still hot, without the risk of burning your hand on the cup’s hot main structure. #e indented circle in the center of the saucer perfectly matches the shape of the bottom of the cup and collects any spillage from a teacup too $lled to the brim. #e designer of the teacup and saucer was clearly very in touch with the needs and concerns of the average tea-drinker. And at the end of the day, this design’s dedication to optimizing its function di!erentiated it from any other tea-drinking device available at the time. #is is probably why it has remained so timelessly popular. Great design clari$es and crystallizes the progress of the world, making our lives easier in both big and small ways.

Designers, then, are problem solvers seeking answers to questions in the most in-novative and aesthetically interesting ways pos-sible. Here on the Observer sta!, we value good design perhaps more than the average college students. We need to; thoughtful design is what allows our readers to digest the text on this page and what allows us to engage in communica-tive dialogue with the Tu"s community. So, in tribute to excellence in innovative design, the O brings you a selection of art, products, and technology that we think got it right.

by nicola pardy

X Dutch desginer Jan Gunneweg has ventured to create a bicycle con-structed primarily of wood. Weighing less than 35 pounds, the bike fea-tures a thick wooden spoke on each wheel that, according Gunneweg,

“symbolize the legs of a man”.

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FEBRUARY 20, 2012 TUFTS OBSERVER 23

Whoever said that analog clocks will be outdone by their modern digital counter-parts hasn’t seen the Circuit Clock, a wall clock with a minimalist aesthetic that dis-plays the time of day through LED lights that rotate in rings around the outside of the clock face instead of traditional clock hands. Serbian designer, Steven Djurovic made the clock easy to understand by indicating the hour reading with the LED light pointing outward, and minute read-ing with the light pointing inward.

Don’t be fooled by the miniature size of the iPhone telephoto lens. Its 8x zoom capability can turn any iPhone 4/4s into a powerful photography tool, ideal for concerts, nature photos, travel, sports and street shots. Photojojo.com, the online photography blog and store that sells this product calls it the newest innovation in iPhoneography. Each lens comes with a sleek black mounting case and a collapsible table tripod to steady your shot.

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Storm King is one of the world’s most renowned outdoor sculpture parks. Located in the lower Hudson Valley, about an hour north of New York City, the park features a collection of more than 100 sculptures set amidst 500 acres of beautiful $eld landscape. Storm King will reopen for its 2012 season on April 4th.

[Australian-born designer Steve Watson has revamped the teacup and saucer design for the post-modern world. Based on the idea of symbio-sis, the Skase teacup set is meant to resemble a “close, prolonged associa-tion between two or more di!erent organisms of di!erent species that may, but does not necessarily, bene$t each member.“

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]�Masatoshi Sakaegi’s abstract light designs incorporate the Japanese notion of shizen, or natural beauty, drawing inspiration from natural rock formations. Sakaegi’s designs will be featured in the Beauty in all !ings: Japanese Art and Design exhibit in New York’s Museum of Design until June 3rd, 2012.

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