homework encyclopedia

326 Arts and Entertainment

Design

Design is the way something is planned, arranged, and

made. A designer aims to create things that look good,

and do their job well. Most man-made objects –

including the page you are reading, the chair you are

sitting on, and the clothes you are wearing – have been

designed. Increasingly, computers are used in design.

FIND OUT MORE. Architecture 328–329 • Cinema 346–347 • Construction 202–203 • Renaissance 398 • Technology 154

WHAT MAKES A GOOD DESIGN?

The successful combination of form (how good something

looks) and function (how well it works) is the basis of

good design. A chair, for example, should look good

and be fit for its purpose – which is to provide a safe,

comfortable support for a person to sit on. There are

many institutions that award prizes for brilliant designs.

WHY DO DESIGNS CHANGE?

Designs change as lifestyles and tastes change, and as new

materials and technologies develop. For example, in the

20th century, eating styles became less formal, and people

wanted convenience. At the same time, new materials such

as stainless steel became available. As a result, kitchen

products became more streamlined and more desirable.

1 GARDEN DESIGN

This wonderful

Renaissance garden at

the Villa d’Este in

Tivoli, Italy, is a strictly

geometric, formal

design. Garden designs

may be formally

planned – like this one,

with fountains and

mazes – or more

relaxed and natural.

HOW OLD IS FASHION DESIGN?

Some 40,000 years ago people sewed hides together to fit

the body, using needles made from mammoth ivory and

reindeer bone. This was mainly for survival, but there

was also some emphasis placed on the decorative value of

clothing. In many ancient cultures, such as Egypt, Greece,

and Rome, fashion was linked to wealth and social status.

HOW IS A PRODUCT DESIGNED?

Designers sketch out ideas on paper, decide on materials,

and then make detailed drawings. They also make sketches

on a computer to create images of three-dimensional

models, which the designer can then manipulate and view

from all angles. Usually a prototype (trial product) is built

and fully tested before being manufactured.

Whistle is

plastic bird

Plants are evenly

spaced within a

geometric layout

Mazes create

visual intrigue and

entertainment

1 Graphic design: This film poster was designed by Saul Bass for Vertigo (1958).

The spiral creates a sense of vertigo (dizziness). 2 Homeware: This stylish kettle

was designed by Michael Graves and made by Alessi in 1985. 3 Furniture

design: Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed this elegant chair c. 1898.

4 Fashion design: This 16th- or 17th-century leather glove is trimmed with tapestry woven in silk and gold.

5 Brand design: This is the logo of Apple Macintosh, the first firm to design personal computers in bright

colours. 6 Product design: The ring-pull for cans is convenient. 7 Fashion design: Twiggy models a new

look in 1967. 8 Car design: The 1998 Volkswagen Beetle updates the original car, designed in the 1930s.

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design