Comments on: Complexity is the new simplicity

By: Tor Bollingmo

Tor Bollingmo — Sun, 04 Dec 2005 19:33:44 +0000

I think it really makes sense. And if we continue to travel back in time, we will soon encounter styles from 1700, which is kinda nice, with lots of details:

http://www.spilberk.cz/IMAGES/c/1700.gif

By: Andrew Faulkner

Andrew Faulkner — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 09:16:12 +0000

Once this 50’s trend is over I expect to see a divide between ultra-minimal (maybe fully text based sites based around typography) and baroque/romantic styles. We’ll have to wait and see.

By: Peter Briers

Peter Briers — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 14:14:04 +0000

The character you speak of is -in my opinion- nonexistent. Nowadays, everybody is ‘hip’. The T-shirts everyone is wearing are just all look-a-likes, the sites too. (even you got a neat star in your header ;) )
http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-ca-trend9oct09,0,6606886,full.story?coll=la-home-style
a nice article about trend-spotting.

By: Gavin

Gavin — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 23:00:41 +0000

This is an interesting topic. I am one that likes to keep things simple, I’m sure a lot of us do in one way or another.

But if a product has a function, then I feel it’s aesthetic design should suit it’s physical design, nothing more nothing less.

However I still feel in terms of architecture, and illustration were particular designs are meant to be decorative that it is good inspiration to look back into the past, and add character to each of these elements.

For product design though I like to stick with the bauhaus concept, form follows function.

By: Phil Renaud

Phil Renaud — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 02:52:18 +0000

oh goodness
know who Herbert Marcuse is? Being both a designer and philosophy major gives me the insight to be able to back up this post (which was wonderful!) with a framework of thought. He talked about the plasticity and commerce-based design a lot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Marcuse
and
http://electron.cs.uwindsor.ca/~renau1x/fivephilosophers/marcuse.html

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 09:30:30 +0000

I do agree to some extent Gav, but you must accept that, for example, a hand carved Victorian lamp holder, holds way more character than the average lamp you buy in Ikea. I recon that society will want this character again, bespoke and by skilled craftsmen. Anybody else see this trend coming?

By: Gavin

Gavin — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 00:07:21 +0000

I agree Matt. I think what I would like to see, and may have already seen. Is a more efficient use of character over a distributed space.

For example victorian design may have a lot of character, and while I like that in itself, as a whole design it’s too much for me.

However to take certain parts of Victorian culture and apply it sparingly to specific elements of a design would work for me. I guess in laymen’s terms it’s a retro-futuristic victorian style, however that doesn’t quite give the picture I’m trying to paint. I guess a good example is something like that of, http://eightface.com/.

I know this is less related. But if anyone is interested in knowing more about architecture on a physiological level I have some good references and views about it, just email me at sevenupcan at gmail dot com.

By: matt davies

matt davies — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 21:22:56 +0000

Brilliant post Gav. I agree. If we could keep the modernistic typographic discipline and lace it with charactor driven styling we will be onto a winner. The next question is what will happen when we get bored of the victorian era? Stone age caveman paintings here we come…