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The PDT debate is one of the most anticipated classes of the year.
Everyone was dressed up, including myself – wearing a clown tie and graphic t -shirt, ready to deliver a structured argument to my competitors.
Jokes aside, myself and my teammate Lucie, were very excited for the debate. We had chosen the topic weeks in advance, and we knew it was something we could make well structured and powerful arguments against. Form should follow Function: aesthetics is not important in designed objects.
For me, I would consider myself more on the artistic side than engineering side of design. However, I would say that that playing to the psychology of people and making things aesthetically pleasing is good engineering and how you make a product that people reach for and want to use.
We went into our research knowing that we couldn’t say form is more important than function, however we felt that there was almost no counter argument to saying that they should be worked as one and treated as equals.
Here are some of the arguments we used against the motion:
‘Liu states that ‘The term aesthetics is our perception or opinion of an object based on what we see, feel, hear, smell and even taste’. (Liu, 2003)
A cool colour palette can summon a calmness in a person whereas a vibrant palette can evoke high energy.
The response to colour is quick for a user, usually within seconds contacting a product. Statistics show that 62-90% of consumers assessment of a product is based on colour. (Eiseman, 2017)
Design is never only about how the product functions. For the product to reach a user group, the aesthetics play a vital phycological role in capturing that audience.’
Another one of our main points argued that form and function are equal and should be worked as one:
‘Aesthetics can be functional, and their power in design should not be dismissed.
Aesthetics play an equal role in the functionality of a product. When two products offer the same functionality, the one with superior aesthetics is often preferred by a larger number of users.
The form of a product plays a key functional role as it assists users in locating, understanding, and using features. In this sense, form itself becomes a function, as it directly contributes to the usability and user experience of the artefact.’
When it came to presenting the arguments there was no way to know exactly how our competitors would counter us, there was only so much research we could do.
For our rebuttals, I latched onto one of their main points - The Apple Magic Mouse. They Argued that this is a product that sacrifices its function because of the form, with a charging port on the bottom, preventing users from using it whilst charging.
Whilst the opposing team had strong point about the flaws of this mouse, I argued that the function of this mouse was not compromised by its form.
This is a mouse to at I have used for years. I find that it’s great to use, it feels luxury and functions well, but of course I’ve heard the arguments about its sleek form compromising the mouses overall function.
I could count on my hands how many times I’ve had to charge this mouse. The battery life is that good. It sends you a notification when the battery is low, giving you multiple hours before it dies. You can then charge it overnight when your finished working and then have a great wireless mouse that lasts for months the next day.
I am proud to say that Lucie and I won the debate. Thanks to our research we were well prepared with arguments that form and function should be treated equally in design.
Special thanks to our competitors for a great back and forth, and to our classmates for an interesting class with lost of informative and creative arguments!
Research Links:
Eiseman, L. (2017). Color Harmony Pantone Edition.
Jitender, P. S. (2018). Understanding the Relationship between Aesthetics and Product Design. Understanding the Relationship between Aesthetics and.
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