Architecture & Design: Common Misconceptions

I thought it fitting that the first content in Musings and Thoughts is about one of the things I am most passionate about: architecture and design. Architecture and design is present in virtually all aspects of our lives. People shape them, and they shape people in return. As one of the many ways people can better their lives, design and architecture is constantly changing and improving in a rapid pace, opening possibilities where once only imaginations and ideas exist.

I do not claim to know all there is to know about these two (especially since the world of design and architecture is constantly changing), but I humbly consider myself to understand just enough to differentiate what architecture and design are and what they are not. This is something that you can get after you've studied design and architecture to a certain extent, either in school or in the field.

1. Essence

The most misunderstood aspect of design and architecture is their essence. People with inadequate or incorrect understanding of what design actually is would not deign to think that design is something beyond art (as a general term). I'm not saying art is a lesser of the two, I'm merely stating that they are different.

The essence of design, I believe, is the planning and creation of an object that answers a certain problem, improves upon a previously thought of solution, and/or (as pretentious and theoretical it may sound) improve the quality of life of the people interacting with said object. Design encompasses a broad array of disciplines, and the exact meaning of the word can vary greatly, but I believe that the aim is similar enough to justify my interpretation of the word.

What most people think when they hear the word 'design' is 'a combination of art and practicality'. To be honest, I had the same notion before I studied design, and afterwards I would wonder how something so complex and important be misconstrued into something as simple and (seemingly) trivial.

One of the causes, I believe, is the way people throw around the word 'design' so much without possessing an adequate understanding of what it actually is. If something with a picture is always called 'design' and the way something looks is always called 'concept', then it is truly an incorrect misunderstanding that we have (let ourselves) become used to.

2. Complexity & Purpose

This one gets me every time. Design is often trivialised as 'doodling', 'drawing', 'art with a blend of practicality/functionality', and many other terms I don't care to explain at length here. It is true that design is not always complicated, but it requires a certain amount of thought and originality. It is incorrect to say "That invitation card has good design!" simply because it looks pretty and has flowers and cursive in front of it. It is designed well if it has good proportions, has a focused message, and is able to draw attention without overpowering the actual content. It is presumptuous to say "That house has a good concept, it looks like some villa on the mountains!" without ever seeing what is inside the structure and experiencing its impact.

Every good design has a concept behind it. Most of the time, the concept is not immediately apparent on how it looks. The concept is the solution to the problem it tries to solve. An airport might have a shape like the wings of an airplane, not because the concept is to build an airport that looks like an airplane, but it is instead to increase the efficiency of linear circulation of the people using it. A pen may be made with curves and indentations, not because the manufacturer is bored of the typical cylinder shape, but may instead aim for a pen that provides better comfort because it follows the contour of user's hand.

Without the solution, a design may well be useless since it doesn't really solve anything.

3. Design vs Art

I would, once more, like to stress that this point is not stating that design is somewhat superior than art, but rather that they are different things made with different reasons for different purposes.

Art (in general) does not need to provide a solution to a specific problem. Some form of art, such as paintings and photographs, need only to bring its intended impact to at least one person for it to succeed. It may serve as a prized collection to a connoisseur, an expression of the artist's strong emotions, or other things. A song can be written by a musician to channel their heartbreak or happiness, but whether it tops the charts or fail to do so doesn't take away the fact that the song is a product of art and has served its primary intended purpose. Ideally, artists create art just the way they want to, and people either enjoy it or they don't, but the rejection or acceptance of other people doesn't reduce its merit or substance as a product of art.

Design is almost always intended to solve a specific problem, and oftentimes must cater to the needs of more than a select few. If a design fails to solve the specified problem and/or provide solutions that cater to all its intended users, its substance is greatly reduced (and in extreme cases, become nonexistent). Design is also created in conjunction with the users' specific needs and desires, feedback, and consideration of how the design can improve their lives. Without these, design does nothing more than looking a specific way and fails to serve its intended purpose. For example, a product designer can design a chair that looks like a military attack helicopter but is greatly uncomfortable to sit on and is hazardous to children, then the design would have no substance and would not benefit the users.

Two different things with different requirements made for two different purposes.

4. Whether Architecture is a Mix of Art and Functionality or if it's a Different Sort of Thing Altogether

I can tell you with confidence that it is the latter. Architecture is a discipline that is very, very fascinating (and demanding). Architects are required to be jacks-of-all-trades and well-versed in so many other things aside from architecture. An architect wouldn't be able to design a proper restaurant without understanding how restaurants work. An architect might not succeed in designing a hotel if the architect doesn't have a clear picture of how a hotel is supposed to run. An architect may not be able to provide the intended experience to the users without having a certain degree of understanding about how structures, shapes, colours, and materials can affect the human mind.

Architecture can look extremely complicated while having a very straightforward concept, or deceptively simple while having a highly complex premise and set of requirements. Regardless of what it is, it is incorrect to assume that 'architecture = (art + functionality) + a little bit of science', especially in the modern times. More aptly, architecture encompasses aesthetics, functionality, economy, and social, and more often than not is required to find a compromise that fulfills the demands of each aspects. (There is also the consideration of sustainability, a facet of design so complex and essential that it requires a different post to explain in detail).

Architects are rarely presented with an ideal situation in which they can design a structure exactly the way they initially envision it. It is more common that the client's specific needs are translated by the architect according to the architect's vision, with compromises and priority setting due to limitations of budget, code restrictions and regulations, or feasibility. Architecture may also require a hefty amount of research and thought prior to its start without promising the absence of adjustments and redesigns along the way.

Put simply, architecture is not merely the physical structure, but also the solution to a specific problem and the experience it is intended to provide to the users. Of course, there are certain cases where architecture is meant to be an art piece, or where a certain degree of artistic mastery can greatly improve architecture, but I still don't think that it's correct to equate architecture to a combination of art and functionality.

At last, the end of this post. I've come to realise that this is a lengthy post, but I find it unsatisfactory to exclude even more than I already did. I hope you like it and find it eye-opening. I am always open to feedback, so please leave a comment! Thanks for reading, until next time!

-Jason

#Architecture #Design