Form is Function – Conclusion

By Lee

All Dressed Up and Nowhere To Go

Form is relevance.

Function is application.

There isn’t much left to explain. Now some may say that relevance is subjective and application is transitory. Put those together and you get, “transitory relevance” – a statement that says a whole bunch of nothing about everything all at once. Oddly enough, it becomes functional and formative all by itself – a sort of enlightened hypocrisy.

What is to be learned? Does “Form is Function” define a new movement? Thankfully not. The last thing a world full of man’s ideas needs is yet another that tells them what is what and who is who.

The greater question is to ask what “Form is Function” can produce. Know first that it isn’t law; it is an objective descriptor. Objectivity is the key. If the world of design continues swimming in ambiguity as defined outside of itself it will continue to sink and eventually drown. All that will be left are the vague references to type and form, a bubble of air that breaks the water’s surface showing where the boat went down.

Designers have to take responsibility for what they do. This means that responsible designers should exist to take that responsibility. It isn’t enough that we enjoy the work, we should also understand it. That understanding has to be taught and expected of itself. Oversight is then given to hunger and creativity wrapped up in humility.

Graphic Design is functional only by its form and by the form of those who use it.

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