Function, keep us from the dark side…

Now as most people that know me can confess, I am in no means a fan of Star Wars (most people will probably stop reading now). Truth be told I haven’t the slightest clue how many films have even been created thus far. So do forgive me if my post isn’t latent with Star Wars film references or characters.
Unlike my fellow designer (Andrea) my character knowledge is limited to Jabba the Hutt only cause I remember him from my childhood, and I tend to prefer a bit more Moonwalker than Skywalker.
Although we’ve sat side-by-side for a few years now, occasionally bickering about irrelevant topics in the grand scheme of things, this whole Form vs Function debate seems to have taken our ‘designer’ discussions to a whole new level…

What’s the purpose of this?

The debate is on. Which follows the other? Should form define function, or does function dictate form. It’s a question I would so love to ask any one of the great designers of our generation, and those of generations past… Designers that focussed on the true essence of their creations. What’s the purpose, the offering, the user benefit?
Greats like Ferdinand Porsche, who gave birth to the humble VW Beetle and later the ever-classic Porsche range. A legacy that has produced and given form to some of the most beautiful machines known to man.
His origins, though, as the designer of the Beetle, where not focussed towards the form we associate with his brand nowadays. Rather, it was to create the most functional vehicle possible. A vehicle that would be inexpensive to produce and can be sold to the masses. Boring right? Not exactly, not when we consider how his functional design inspired generations, not to mention going on to be one of the best-selling cars of all time.
Even the Porsche range we know today, with all of its form over function appearance, still maintain the same Function First fundamentals. Admittedly, they are cars of beauty, drooled upon by most (including myself ), but this beauty is nothing more than a representation of the brand’s ‘purpose’ to produce vehicles with exceptional driving performance. A vehicle which functions flawlessly. So much so that Porsches haven’t really changed in form since inception.

It better function, or else!

Function has given birth to so many of our much-loved gadgets and gizmo’s. Cell phones turned smartphones, Walkman turned iPod, big things scaled to tiny things, all born from the need of greater functionality. Their form, an expression of current trends or simply to accommodate their new incarnations.
No, I’m not saying we shouldn’t focus on appearance or form, of course, we must. After all, as Andrea so rightly expressed in his post, items of beauty tend to capture our imagination and our undying desire for all things shiny and clickable. But I ask, what’s the point of browsing through a beautifully designed website, downloading a great looking App or buying the latest and greatest if it’s functionally useless?
Most users/consumers just want something that works, whether it’s a website, product or service. If it looks good then it will most likely have greater appeal. But in a world where plenty are likely to express their disappointment when faced with a product/service that hasn’t functioned or performed as expected (especially if we’ve paid good money for it), I argue that functionality is key.
My bet is that brands focusing their efforts on customer retention and brand loyalty will be hard pressed for luck if their offering isn’t up to par, even if it does look the part.

BB-8. Sure it’s not a Dyson?

Another great designer that springs to mind is James Dyson. You know, the guy that invented the weird vacuum with a ball stuck to the bottom. A revolutionary designer that has managed to combine the best of both form and function.
Sure, he didn’t invent the concept of the vacuum, nor did he invent any other product we haven’t already seen. His genius is his ability to revolutionise and enhance the way many conventional household products function, whilst packaging them in a more aesthetically pleasing form. As with Porsche, Dyson’s mantra has always been one of function first. So much so that even the brands television adverts purposely state that their products utilise patented technology, giving them a functional edge on their competitors.

Functionality. Built-in.

As with many debates, the points for and against either perspective are many. So yes, I do agree that form does play a very important part of any design, though functionality takes a design beyond the superficial. Though, in my opinion, functionality is the key factor that separates a nice design from a great one, allowing for greater user integration and thus a greater user experience.

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The big idea (or is it?)

From Google searches, and Behance portfolios, to a whole source of other content rich libraries, we are drawn to research, absorb and be inspired. And in most cases, a few external sources of inspiration mingled in with some raw talent proves successful in striking that eureka moment. Whether graphic or written, hopefully by the end of our exploratory process we’ve arrived at the the big idea, or some meaningful solution to answer our client’s brief.
Truth be told, you might have come up with the holy grail of big ideas, which answers all your client’s needs, only to regretfully have it suffocated by the medium/platform it features within. In a world of mobile devices, social networks, media sharing and the occasional print campaign, how often do we truly consider the application of our newly formed big idea? Is our graphic suited for the medium? Where will it appear? Is the copy communicating (clearly speaking) with its intended recipient? Have we even chosen the right media channel?
In order to avoid this sort of ‘creative death’, it’s critical that creatives, media planners, strategists and all other parties work in constant collaboration. Like a well oiled machine, if all the parts are in sync, you’re probably more likely to communicate your idea effectively and consistently at every touchpoint, to ultimately receive your desired consumer response (and those all empowering Facebook likes) rather than have your ideas fade away.

Think broader, rather than bigger

It’s great and inspiring to see creative, powerful, emotional or thought provoking ideas coming to shape, but not all ideas or creative concepts need be ‘big’. Simpler ideas can and have made just as big a splash.
With social media ‘shares’, ‘likes’ and ‘followers’ defining which brands are relevant in recent years, maybe it’s time we adapt our thinking to focus on developing broader ideas, rather than bigger ones. Perhaps ideas/concepts that generate more targeted content, spread over a wider spectrum of media disciplines. And just like a snowball, the more snow you add to it (or content in this case), the broader your idea may get. Once fed and nudged in the right direction, your idea just might turn into a media avalanche, and in our industry avalanches are good.

Target your audience

As a father of a few digital natives, I experience how even small ideas can make for big impact on a daily basis. My children for instance (aged 4 & 8), probably don’t comprehend big conceptual branded messages, and hence tap in to online content they’re comfortable with. They’re constantly watching other young girls on YouTube, simply sitting in front of a GoPro unboxing a few branded child-play items, which in turn garner them tens of millions of hits.
Simple idea right, simple execution too… Yet they’ve figured out where their target demographic lies, and they’re capitalising on this insight. It’s a horrible truth, but ask yourself, how may hits is your content/brand collecting? Is it reaching it’s perceived targets? Or falling short of being a big hit…
Getting the media mix right will prove a huge asset for any brand, especially when we consider the vastness of the media outlets available. Most of which allow us to generate and direct cost effective tailor made messages specific to targeted demographics. And what’s best is that the implementation of our message into the public domain is instant, and so too is feedback, allowing for immediate evaluation and customer interaction.

Bite size, big ideas

I’m not one to promise miracles, but hopefully, this new mindset will mean less head scratching in the future, and more time constructively discussing, evolving and broadening your ideas. And as the heading suggests, why not take the next available opportunity to break your big ideas into smaller digestible ones. Consider your targeted demographic and all media platforms at hand, from social posts, video feeds, direct mailings to dedicated landing pages, the possibilities (consumer touch-points) are endless. Giving your ideas more chance to flourish.
Illustrations by an up & coming designer – Brendon’s very own daughter, Nicole. (Age 8)

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