What Makes A Design Classic?
Editorial Note: We would like to thank Laura Reed - motivational speaker and owner of great conferences for suggesting that we publish Darren's article.
Whenever my mother comes to visit my house, she invariably inspects my mantelpieces with a white cotton gloves, picks up all my precious knick-knacks and raises an eyebrow.
“What's this, then?”
“Well mum, that right there, is a DESIGN CLASSIC.”
I say it whether or not she's picked up my Philippe Starck lemon squeezer or the cat figurine I bought for pocket change at a bring and buy sale. It's important to defend your personal taste with speed and assiduity. Besides, cats are nice. However, after a recent visit and scrutiny fest from my mother, it did set me thinking: what exactly makes a design classic? What does classic even mean anyway? Well, I delved a little into my dusty volumes of art and design history and I now think I've got it down to four specific components. You're welcome.
What we talk about when we talk about classic design:
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Simplicity and clarity
Design is not about beauty. This is not to say that design can't be beautiful, but to bring in William Morris the ideal is a marriage of form and function, where nothing is superflous or useful, that all the elements work together to produce an item that elegantly achieves its purpose.
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Consistency
Although William Morris may have disagreed, mass production has lot to do with what makes something a classic design. Though individuality is often valued highly when evaluating artistic merit within the fine arts (there are of course many instances where this is not the case but we'll get to that later) when it comes to design, the ability to have made something that can be replicated with enough frequency that it becomes ubiquitous, almost mundane in the constancy of its presence, then odds are, you are approaching something like a design classic.
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Recognition/ The Icon Factor
This is where the question of fine art and reproduction rears its head once more. One of the key attributes of a design classic is the pervading feeling that you know that shape or that logo, even if you don't know a thing about its creator. However, a recognisable figure can help elevate a strong design into a classic. Think about Andy Warhol and his use of Campbell's Soup tins. When something is adopted into the mainstream in ways that no longer approximate its intended purpose, it's usually a good sign that it's approaching design classic status. If an artist is asked to 'reinterpret' a form – the ten year anniversary of the Fendi Baguette
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The ability to hold all the above contradictions in one form
You may have noticed that I have managed to make several wildly opposing assertions in the space of three points. This is another aspect of design that never ceases to delight: the ability to be iconic and invisible, consistent but with the facility to be used completely out of context. A good example of this is the Coca-Cola logo and the ways this has been celebrated and subverted throughout the years. It's worth remembering that this is one of the rare instances when classic don't refer to taste or approval, instead, it's about the way in which certain forms reverberate in mass consciousness. MUM. So, it is relatively easy to make a case for the superiority of the ceramic cat when questioned at length over a cup of tea. Just start praising its clean lines, its perfect unification of form and, um, usage. Hm. Maybe stay away from the ceramic cat. Maybe it's better just to own up to that one. Stand proud with your chintzy feline. Even Andy Warhol can't help you now.
Darren Bedfellow writes about designer jobs for Brand Republic.
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