Mark Wunsch

One of the gems from the previously posted Design Q & A with Charles Eames is:

“Here is one of the few effective keys to the Design problem: the ability of the Designer to recognize as many of the constraints as possible; his willingness and enthusiasm for working within these constraints.”

All designers, industrial or web, must accept and work within constraints. The constraints that I had to work within to build this site are what informs its design. I wanted the design of this site to call attention to these constraints, not to understate them.

The decisions I made in designing and creating this site were largely due to my work environment. At my office whilst working with clients, I am surrounded by an abundance of computing power and no matter where I turn, I will never be able to escape an Adobe product. This is great...at my office. However, at home, I am living with my 8 year-old 533 MHz G4. It’s a delightfully rugged old machine. 8 years is a remarkable lifespan for a computer, a testament to Apple, to be sure. It is running Panther (that’s 10.3) and is getting weak in the knees. Normally, my routine to check my email is to boot up the computer, start Firefox, and then age wine in an oak cask. Usually by then I can check my email. I dare not open my copy of Photoshop 7, lest my wine turn to vinegar. My computer is slow. To put some context into it, 8 years ago this was like the coolest thing on my block. I originally wanted to get that G4 cube, but it was discontinued, oh well, just have to get the tower. It was my first Mac after a several-year-long campaign by my friend Jeff who won me over when OSX was released. Before that, I was building websites in HomeSite on my Packard Bell—it was an upgrade, to say the least. Today’s newest 3.06 GHZ iMacs are roughly 5 times faster than my G4. Envious? Yeah, a little.

So when I began creating this website I knew that I wanted to work within my computer’s limitations, and not try to push it to hard. I’m not sure how long I’ll be with ol’ G4 (I don’t name my computers, as much as I long to be like the hackers in movies), but I didn’t want this to be it’s last race. That in mind, I knew that the website I wanted to create would need to be minimalist. I wanted to keep the use of imagery to a total low. Imposing this constraint opened the door to the elastic design, and rich typography. The only imagery on the site comes in the form of the Silk Icons.

The color was also defined by my workspace limitations. At home, I’ve tried to many amateurish adjustments of my monitor, resulting in a monitor that is unusually bright. The whites really burn everything. It’s a challenge to work on. I also come from a film & broadcasting background, where vector scopes must be monitored to ensure a picture is broadcast legal. So I went with the less popular white on dark grey background, which I think plays up some of the letter forms of Trebuchet MS.

Overall, the constraints that I worked within to create this site should be very evident in its viewing. I wanted to call attention to the fact that even with an obsolete machine, CSS is an incredibly powerful design tool. Maybe, don’t be so quick to critique browser support or font limitations, and stay your hand when you’re really itching to add in that gradient. Chances are, if you accept your constraints, you will reach a solution that is not only elegant and beautiful, but also makes best use of the power of web standards.

Not to long ago, my wife and I added “The Films of Charles and Ray Eames” to our Netflix queue. We are admirers and we were curious if there had ever been a documentary or anything done on them. A simple search of “eames” turned up the six disc set. Apparently, not only are the husband and wife team some of the greatest contributors to furniture and industrial design in the 20th century, they were also prolific filmmakers. I wanted to share a transcript of one of their films with you. Charles Eames provides some incredible insight in “Design Q & A.” Questions by Mme. L. Amic. Answers by Charles Eames. On the occasion of the exhibition “Qu’est ce que le design?” (or What is Design?) at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Palais de Louvre.

Q: “What is your definition of ‘Design,’ Monsieur Eames?

“One could describe Design as a plan for arranging elements to accomplish a particular purpose.”

Q: “Is Design an expression of art?”

“I would rather say it’s an expression of purpose. It may, if it is good enough, later be judged as art.”

Q: “Is Design a craft for industrial purposes?”

“No, but Design may be a solution to some industrial problems.”

Q: “What are the boundaries of Design?”

“What are the boundaries of problems?”

Q: “Is Design a discipline that concerns itself with only one part of the environment?”

“No.”

Q: “Is it a method of general expression?”

“No. It is a method of action.”

Q: “Is Design a creation of an individual?”

“No, because to be realistic, one must always recognize the influence of those that have gone before.”

Q: “Is Design a creation of a group?”

“Very often.”

Q: “Is there a Design ethic?”

“There are always Design constraints, and these often imply an ethic.”

Q: “Does Design imply the idea of products that are necessarily useful?”

“Yes, even though the use might be very subtle.”

Q: “Is it able to cooperate in the creation of works reserved solely for pleasure?”

“Who would say that pleasure is not useful?”

Q: “Ought form to derive from the analysis of function?”

“The great risk here is that the analysis may be incomplete.”

Q: “Can the computer substitute for the Designer?”

“Probably, in some special cases, but usually the computer is an aid to the Designer.”

Q: “Does Design imply industrial manufacture?”

“Not necessarily.”

Q: “Is Design used to modify an old object through new techniques?”

“This is one kind of Design problem.”

Q: “Is Design used to fit up an existing model so that it is more attractive?”

“One doesn’t usually think of Design in this way.”

Q: “Is Design an element of industrial policy?”

“If Design constraints imply an ethic, and if industrial policy includes ethical principles, then yes—design is an element in an industrial policy.”

Q: “Does the creation of Design admit constraint?”

“Design depends largely on constraints.”

Q: “What constraints?”

“The sum of all constraints. Here is one of the few effective keys to the Design problem: the ability of the Designer to recognize as many of the constraints as possible; his willingness and enthusiasm for working within these constraints. Constraints of price, of size, of strength, of balance, of surface, of time, and so forth. Each problem has its own peculiar list.”

Q: “Does Design obey laws?”

“Aren’t constraints enough?”

Q: “Are there tendencies and schools in Design?”

“Yes, but these are more a measure of human limitations than of ideals.”

Q: “Is Design ephemeral?”

“Some needs are ephemeral. Most designs are ephemeral.”

Q: “Ought Design to tend towards the ephemeral or towards permanence?”

“Those needs and Designs that have a more universal quality tend toward relative permanence.”

Q: “How would you define yourself with respect to a decorator? an interior architect? a stylist?”

“I wouldn’t.”

Q: “To whom does Design address itself: to the greatest number? to the specialists or the enlightened amateur? to a priviledged social class?”

“Design addresses itself to the need.”

Q: “After having answered all these questions, do you feel you have been able to practice the profession of ‘Design’ under satisfactory conditions, or even optimum conditions?”

“Yes.”

Q: “Have you been forced to accept compromises?”

“I don’t remember ever being forced to accept compromises, but I have willingly accepted constraints.”

Q: “What do you feel is the primary condition for the practice of Design and for its propagation?”

“A recognition of need.”

Q: “What is the future of Design?”

Throughout the film the questions are posed in white on black titles. Through the answers, photos are shown of the Eames’s work. With this last question, on the “future of Design,” photos are shown of fruit, flowers, and nature.

You can purchase the full set of The Films of Charles and Ray Eames on Amazon. There are some really fantastic, clever short films in there. Look out for “Powers of Ten” and the brilliant, animated “Mathematics Peep Show.”