How Aesthetics and Function Co-relate in a Design

When I woke up each morning after I get ready for class, the one thing that I will always
repeatedly wear every single day is my watch. For me, my watch is a very important object
that I use every day because it does not only tells time, but also helps me to be punctual and
finish my work on time. Other than that, we can tell the personality of a person by looking at
their watches because it can also be considered as a fashion statement. After all, I have had
watches even since I was in kindergarten! That’s why I choose my watch in this assignment.

Why the object gives a significant meaning to me? Of course basically, it’s for the most
obvious function which is to tell time. The design of this particular watch is a traditional
analog watch. The movement of the watch hand are primarily electronic but are geared to
drive mechanical hands on the face of the watch in order to provide a traditional analog
display of time, which I prefer instead of the digital watches. It still uses a traditional
approach but with a really modern twist. A typical watch usually will use numbers whereas
in this watch, some of the numbers are not even there! And the others are just lines and
letters to indicate the position of the actual number. As you can see for the number 12, 6
and 9, this particular watch uses only lines to indicate the numbers told. As for number 3, it
uses the brand’s official name, DKNY to represent the number. Although we can’t see the
actual number, we can still know the precise time by just observing the position of the
JARUM. The embellishment the back stated 3 ATM which stands for non-water resistance
watch. It can only be used for everyday use and can only withstand splashes or rain. So that
is one of the disadvantages of the watch.

The main part is made out of a rectangle shape. The outer rectangle is made from stainless
steel while the inner rectangle is transparent glass for us to get a clear vision of the time
shown. Another disadvantage of this watch is it is easily scratched over time resulting in
some unwanted lines on the glass surface which may restrict our vision a little.

Next, the wrist strip performs its function well because it is very comfortable to wear even
though the material used is entirely from solid stainless steel. I do think it’s from the way
the pattern in front are co related with the pattern at the back of the wrist strip. I think the
way the shape was made is for the resistant towards dust and sweat. Instead of being a flat
planar at the back, the design uses a shape that has volume and gap to ensure the
comfortability of the consumer. Although it is made entirely from stainless steel, it is still
flexible, can still be twisted in a certain angle and can be stretch just a little bit for comfort
purposes. These are because of the interlocking pattern which can be seen from the watch’s
back part. The fact that the entire watch is made from stainless steel is because of the
durability and versatility of the material itself. This material does not need to be polished
often, it also can withstand a lot of wear and tear because it is a natural hardy alloy making
it last longer.

As for the aesthetic value in the strip, it is made from repeating pattern of a single entity
which is a rounded edge square which are originally from a basic square shape then
dissected to make more interesting form. I like the wrist strip part the most because it does
not look like the usual watch that you see. The design is different, unique and very
individual. The repeating pattern creates an illusion of a bracelet instead of just a plain
watch. Although the design is made simple, the impact of this pattern creates a very bold
visual statement. The shiny surface of the stainless steel also makes this component a really
interesting part because it reflects light. In fact, it is the most recognisable component of the
watch’s design.

The last component which is the opening is made out of different part that can be
connected or disconnected easily. Most of the watches needed to be cut permanently to fit
our wrist. However, for this watch, it is different. You may choose to make it tighter or
looser according to your preferences without having to cut the strip permanently. This easily
disintegrated part is important part of the watch’s design. This part are created by a series
of geometrical pattern connected to each other. Some are dissected from a basic shape and
some are the basic shape. These shapes are placed side by side with each other to create
not only an interesting pattern but a functional component.

In conclusion, for every design, the most important thing is to meet the required function
but it isn’t wrong to insert some aesthetic value to it to make the particular object more
meaningful and interesting. As for my watch, the design are made so that the function and
needs meets and still, the finished product have uniqueness and beauty in its simplicity.