Form and Function - Retail Products

There are products however that seem not to follow the principle form follows function and are designed purely for their form and aesthetic value. Philippe Starks Juicy Salif for example is sold purely on its aesthetical form with the function of the product being a secondary thought. The product is a stylish piece of design which is now well known as a beautiful form. It has recently been used in an advert for a Hyundai car to represent the stylishness of their product. The product has been so successful even though its functioning performance isn’t great. The Juicy Salif does function as a lemon juicer however it isn’t an efficient way of juicing lemons. There is no way of separating the pips from the juice so they both end up being left together forcing the user to pick the pips out themselves. There are much better functioning products on the market that will be cheaper however the Juicy Salif is still a more popular product choice for consumers. Therefore the form follows function principle is to an extent being used as the product has a function however the form is more significant to the product than the function is. The form hasn’t been a result of function purity however it is still a successful piece of design. Is this the exception to the principle?

Products in the retail market for example will not sell as well if they don’t look appealing to the user therefore form has to be considered greatly in the design process. When products look good they can be used as a fashion statement. If every product was based around function and was left bland then people would not be able to show off their personalities and the same generic style would be used over and over again. There are many ways to combat this in design. One way is to personalise the product take the IPod for example. The IPod is available in a range of colours chosen by the purchaser to portray their personal style. They can also be engraved with a personal message therefore personalising the product and creating a bond between product and user.

The Dyson vacuum range is an example of design that has concentrated on the form and aesthetics. The products are colourful and vibrant and have more personality than other traditional vacuums. However some people made argue that they are over designed. Steve Rutherford designer and lecturer from Nottingham Trent University for example described the Dyson DC11 telescope as being “hideously over styled”. The product is a functioning product that works efficiently and sometimes revolutionarily however the form of the product seems over styled as if the form wasn’t a result of the function but a result of a design process. After looking into how the product works there has clearly been a lot of work and effort gone into designing every aspect of the vacuum whether it is the function of the product or the colours used.

http://www.dyson.co.uk/