Design in art is all around us. Design is in the architecture around us, in the way daily objects of our lives are built, design is even in our clothing. Although design is all around us, the way we view whether or not the way something is built is functional or practical can differ. Each person who looks at any piece of art that contains design will evaluate differently the level of functionality the item holds. What might seem to have a high functionality to one person may not be so functional to another.
The piece "Tuttuno", a collaboration by Carlo Bimbi, Gianni Ferrara, and Nilo Giocchini, is an example of a piece that has a very high level of functionality. The piece is an all in one living space, that includes a living room area, a bed, a dining/eating area, and many other creative features. Each compartment of the piece can be completely hidden, and when all the compartments are hidden, "Tuttuno" looks like a rather large box. For someone who has a small living space suchy as a studio apartment or for someone who does not like having a lot of furniture, this piece would be ideal. Because it can be closed up into a box, you can easily hide any mess, you probably won't even have to worry about making your bed as long as you tuck it in when you have guests over. This piece is also very functional because all your basic furniture is all packed up in one spot. You don't need to worry about matching your couch and chairs and finding space for all of them, because this piece takes care of all that for you.
"The Garden in the Machine" is also a great example of a design piece with high functionality. This piece, created by team leader Jeanne Gang and Studio Gang Architects, is an actual project that was worked on in Cicero, IL. Cicero is an aging suburb of Chicago, mostly famous for its increasing numbers in both foreclosure and arrival of immigrants. In short, the idea of this project was to recreate this suburb so that it would better accommodate both the people living in it, and the environment that surrounds it. This project worked on almost all aspects of the community, from planting poplars and willows that would cleanse the soils of Cicero rapidly, to even creating living accommodations that would better house the increasing population of the small suburb and also allow them to enjoy the beauty of nature. This extraordinary piece of design has a very high functionality to me because it creates a win-win situation. This piece creates an ideal perspective on a way of living. The residents of Cicero are given the opportunity to enjoy both the beauty of the nature around them that will also help reconstruct a healthier environment for them, while also being able to enjoy living in a more futuristic kind of living space that better accommodates the needs of the suburb.
Although there are many projects like "Tuttuno" and "The Garden in the Machine" that have a very high level of functionality, there are also plenty of design projects that are not so functional. "Designs for an Overpopulated Planet: Foragers" a piece by Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby, is a design piece that does have a good basis of idea but when you further examine could be quite costly and not so practical to the nation. The idea of the piece is to use specially formed devices and methods to create a way to prevent an issue with food production for the world's quickly growing population. The idea also consisted of having small groups of people and synthetic biology create methods of being able to digest things like leaves and grass. These small groups of people would use devices that would help their bodies digest these greens. However, the issue with this s that ideas and designs such as of this kind an become very costly and dangerous. We cannot be sure that the body will eventually adapt to eating greens such as leaves and grass, and with the nation already in debt and many others to follow, a project like this whose rate of success is unknown could cost us a heavy blow to not just the economy but also the well being of its inhabitants.
Low levels of functionality do not come with just large designs such as the Foragers project, but even in small designs such as the "Condom Applicator" device by Roelf Mulder and Richard Perez. This design is exactly what it says it is, a small device used to apply a condom onto the male genital area in the correct form. Although many people do apply condoms wrong and this device would prevent many unplanned pregnancies, STI's, and STD's, as it is, many people have trouble affording condoms themselves, what is the likelihood that if they are not willing or cannot afford condoms they will set off and spend their money on an applicator. Also, it would seem to me that most men would feel embarrassed to have to use an applicator before intercourse, they would feel as if they have no experience or no skills in the process. The concept of the condom applicator is a good idea, but I do not believe that many people out there would be willing to go out and buy one and willingly use it in front of their partners.
Design is a very important part of our lives. As mentioned before design in everywhere around us and in almost every part of our lives. Some designs have a great amount of functionality, while others seem to be useless. All in all, every design has a purpose, and that purpose is an attempt to somehow better our lives, whether or not it really will benefit us.
Carlo Bimbi, Gianni Ferrara, Nilo Giocchini
"Tuttuno"
Plywood covered with plastic laminate
1971
Jeanne Gang, Street Gang Architects
"The Garden in the Machine"
Medium N/A
2011
Anthony Dunne, Fiona Raby
"Designs for an Overpopulated Planet: Foragers"
Fiberglass
2009
Roelf Mulder, Richard Perez
"Condom Applicator"
Polyethylene and aluminum foil
2004
