055 Form Follows Function
Aesthetic considerations should be secondary to functional considerations.
• A maxim derived from the architect Louis Sullivan, who wrote that, in nature, “form ever follows function”.
• The motto became a guiding principle for modernists who emphasized function over ornamentation.
• The prescriptive interpretation means that designers should focus on function first, form second. The descriptive interpretation means that beauty arises from purity of function.
• Though the maxim is often considered oversimple and cliché, most great designers abide by the principle.
• Consider form follows function a strong guideline in design. While it does not apply to all cases all of the time, it generally leads to superior design. ...
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