Process

A design philosophy is, in essence, a statement of guiding principles that inform and shape real world deliverables. Whether implicitly or explicitly, successful designers often subscribe to certain theories, attitudes, values, and beliefs that drive their design process and translate ideas into real-world goods. It was helpful to look at the creative process of other designers as we worked to envision our new classroom space. Some notable design philosophies include the work of Ray and Charles Eames, Frank Lloyd Wright, Apple, and 37 Signals.

Ray and Charles Eames

Important twentieth-century designers of architecture and modern furniture, Ray and Charles Eames also pioneered innovative technologies and processes. The Eames design philosophy (see figure 2.4) identified the intersecting needs of client, society, and designer. The company focused its energies on developing products that met the needs of all three.

Frank Lloyd Wright

Renowned modern architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1945) designed buildings that were in harmony with the surrounding environment, according to a philosophy he called organic architecture: “Form and function thus become one in design and execution if the nature of materials and method and purpose are all in unison.” (298; see figure 2.5).

Apple

The Apple design philosophy was in place before Apple Computer had made its first product, and it now informs all of the company's consumer electronics, computer software and personal computers. Central to Apple’s design philosophy is the axiom “Simple is good.” According to Jonathan Ive, senior vice president of industrial design at Apple, in order for a product be simple, “You have to deeply understand the essence of a product in order to be able to get rid of the parts that are not essential” (Issacson 2011, 343).

37 Signals

The web application company 37 Signals (http://37signals.com/) is known as much for its software design process as for innovative products like Basecamp and Ruby on Rails. In 2006, 37 Signals published a manifesto that expressed the company’s “major ideas and philosophies that drive the Getting Real process.” These include tenets such as interface first, epicenter design, and context over consistency. Getting Real demonstrates how the design philosophy itself guides the company in its day-to-day processes as it develops web applications.

Design philosophies are tools to navigate the process of production, whether one is constructing a building, furniture, a computer, or web app. Although they may be little more than a statement of ideas, they are proactive statements that guide a process of production to effect a change.