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Theoretical Reflections on Designed Objects

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Introduction

Design entails the intentional creation of an object or an activity according to certain

specifications which are valued or revered by the creators 1. Almost all objects or systems are

designed in a specific way so that it may align to the uses of which it is intended. On the other

side, there are different methodologies which are used in coming up with different designs in the

long run and most of them will be encompassed in the text. The discussion intends to

conceptualize design by employing different objects which have been designed to suit their uses.

Moreover, several methodologies of design will also be examined to ascertain the different

ideologies of design.

Theoretical Reflection on Objects

First and foremost, there are objects which are created or designed to assume different

functions which easily align to their attributes. For example, computers are designed in such a

way that their forms follow their functions as enfranchised in the functionality method of design.

The computer has a monitor which ensures that everything which is typed in the keyboard can be

reflected on the screen. Moreover, the central processing unit ensures that the monitor and the

keyboard are connected in the long run. Functionality method of design affirms that the form of

an object dictates its functions. Besides, the computer is used to perform certain functions such

as typing a report, watching a movie and checking online platforms. Reports are typed using the

keyboard while the monitor is used to watch movies and other videos which are either stored

inside the computer or acquired online. Also, the computer can also be used to check online

platforms when it is connected to the internet. Hence, it is imperative to affirm that computers

are well designed for their functions.

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Kolko, Jon. "Design thinking comes of age." (2015): 66-71.
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The same applies to radios which have speakers, volumes and power buttons to serve

different purposes at the end of the day. The speaker is primarily created to outline the sounds of

the different stations which are programmed into the system of the radio. There are radios with

small speakers while others have big speakers; however they all serve the same purpose in the

long run. The volumes are used to add or reduce the sounds which are generated through the

speakers based on the environment. Radios which are in clubs use high volumes compared to

those at home which only concentrate on the low volumes. Besides, gas cookers are also created

or designed to serve their purposes and this can be seen based on how the burners and the

cylinders are placed. The cylinder is used to store the gas which is then used to generate heat

which can be used to heat any type of food or object which is placed at the burner.

Secondly, there are objects which signify different times in history based on the materials

that are used to create or design them2. All clothes are created to be worn and to hide nakedness

however not all of them are designed in the same way. There are different colors of clothes and

all of them are created or designed in different styles. For example, there are large trousers which

were mainly created to guarantee space when worn and most of them are associated with the

past. Today many people prefer tight pants which barely accord those who wear them any

allowances. The different styles outlined can be used to signify different times of history. In the

United States, for example, musicians in the past preferred the large trousers and shirts however

contemporary artists go for tight clothes which fit them perfectly according to their sizes.

Materialism method of design can also be used to explain the notion of history based on the

materials which were used to make clothes in the past and those which are used today. For

instance, in the past large amounts of cotton or fabric were employed in making clothes and that

is why they appeared large however today thin light fabric is used. Materialism in contemporary
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Sanoff, Henry. Visual Research Methods in Design (Routledge Revivals). Routledge, 2016.
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society can also be ascertained through the prices of the products. There are clothes which are

very expensive because of the style and material that is used in creating them in the first place.

There are different expensive brands such as Versace and Gucci which are revered for their

styles by modern society. The brands may make simple trousers or t-shirts which are expensive

because of the design or material that is used in making them. Therefore, it is imperative to note

that design can be used to dictate the price of a good or an object in the long run.

Therefore, there are objects which can be substantiated to be expensive or cheap by simply

looking at them or touching the material that is used. For example, gold watches are certified to

be expensive because gold is used in making them and gold is universally ascertained to be very

expensive. All objects which are created through the use of gold are substantiated to be

expensive in the long run. The same applies to other materials such as diamonds which is equally

very rare and expensive to purchase3. Besides, the materials can be used to determine the type of

person who is wearing them or how rich or poor they are at the end of the day. Gold watches and

diamond watches are super expensive hence those who wear them must be rich to afford them.

On the other side, those who wear cheap products like plastics can also be ascertained as poor

because they are not able to afford gold and diamond. The same applies to the type of clothes,

shoes or other accessories which are worn by different people and their value. Materialism

confirms that the objects owned by people can be used to describe the type of people they are

without actually talking to them in person.

Thirdly, movies are created for the same purpose of entertaining or educating the society

however they are assigned different styles hence dictating their differences. There are movies

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Fox, Nick J., and Pam Alldred. "New materialism." The SAGE encyclopedia of research methods. London,

UK: Sage. https://www. researchgate. net/publication/320016117 (2018).

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which focus on the bright colours of the city with very bright clothes to appeal to the children or

young people in society. For example the movie La La Land which has many different bright

colours which are appealing to audiences who love music and colours. On the other side, there

are movies which are created with dark colours because they are used to communicate horror and

fear. The different styles used to control the audiences can be related to the iconography method

of design4. The design affirms that style is used to dictate the type of object and the quality in the

long run. Movie directors must use different colors, sound, effects and storyline which

communicate to different audiences. Besides, movies which use the right colors, effects and

sounds are loved the most because they generate the most quality in the long run. On the other

side, there are videos or pictures which are created using different styles to appeal to different

kinds of people or serve different functions. There are pictures which show all the details of the

objects however there are others where the object is not necessarily exposed. Pictures which

encompass all the attributes of the object are essentially used where the details are needed for

example someone’s personal details. However, the are other pictures or drawings like road signs

which are primarily used to outline directions.

Iconography method of design can also be experienced through the different styles which

are used to create music. There is slow music which is used primarily to communicate themes of

love or betrayal to the audience because they emphasise the lyrics. RnB type of music is

essentially associated with love and betrayal hence they are slow and lyrics are very clear. On the

4
Acurio, Daniel Marcelo, Santiago Alejandro Acurio, Cristina Páez Quinde, Daniel Sánchez Guerrero, Ruth

Infante Paredes, and Marcelo Núñez Espinoza. "The Iconographic Method Applied in the Design of

Products with Cultural Demostration in the Creation of the Tourist Destination." The Academic Research

Community publication 2, no. 2 (2018): 9.

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other hand, there are very fast music genres which are meant to entertain and not educate in any

way. Hence they emphasize the beats all through with certain lyrics being repeated all the time.

For example, the dancehall genre of music which focuses on the beats and sounds rather than

lyrics because they are created to entertain their audiences.

Consequently, there are objects which are used for different purposes based on the user or

the person who is undergoing the experience. For example, there are those who use their phones

for communication purposes alone while others use the gargets for research. In reality, phones

were created for communication purposes; however overtime other functions have been added

unto the phone5. Many young people in contemporary society use their phones to access their

social media platforms, take pictures and check the news. However, most old people simply use

the gadgets for communication regardless of the many capabilities that the phone has.

Phenomenology is a method of design that focuses on the first person point of view and how

they process the objects at their disposal. Hence most objects in this category are designed to

perform different functions based on the circumstances and the user who is involved. Objects

which perform different functions are advantageous because they can be used by a wide range of

people thus they are not choosy. Other examples which fit in this category include cars or

vehicles which might be used by family or turned into passenger vehicles. The two different uses

depend on those who own the vehicles and why they decided to purchase them in the first place.

On the other side, there are vehicles which are only purchased to be crushed in movies or used in

research exercises. Phenomenology method of research allows the user to change the objects in

ways which best suits them or their intentions.

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Sanoff, Henry. Visual Research Methods in Design (Routledge Revivals). Routledge, 2016.
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There are objects which also appear like they are related to people hence they assume

normal human functions and perform them perfectly. For example, washing machines can wash

clothes and dry them effectively more than humans. In some instances, washing machines are

used to wash many clothes which are tiresome to wash by hand however some people also use

them to wash all the clothes. The same applies to other machines which are used to perform

different human functions like cooking or cutting. Most of them cannot work unless humans

accord them minimal assistance in the long run. Therefore, the design is also keen on the

relationship between humans and objects especially when it comes to tiresome activities. In that

many objects are designed to solve human problems by reducing the stress incurred in

performing daily activities. Psychoanalysis is a method of the design that focuses on fetishism

which substantiates the independence of objects which are related to humans. Most objects in

this category appear like they are independently carrying out their functions without any

interference or interruption by man. The ATM which is used to count money can be used as an

example as well because it appears to count the money on its own after it is instigated by man

and directed on the amount that is needed.

Conclusively, design entails the use of styles and creativity to appeal to different kinds of

audiences as enfranchised in the discussion above. The objects which are named in the

discussion are designed in different ways to attend to various purposes. Functionality method of

design affirms that objects are mainly created to suit their purposes and that can be ascertained

by viewing the computer. The object has different parts like the keyboard which is meant to type

words which are shown on the monitor. On the other hand, some objects like clothes are created

based on different styles depending on the audience which is targeted. There are clothes which

are designed for weddings while others are meant for casual hangouts. Generally, design controls
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most human activities and how they perceive the objects which they interact with on their daily

lives.
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Bibliography

Acurio, Daniel Marcelo, Santiago Alejandro Acurio, Cristina Páez Quinde, Daniel Sánchez

Guerrero, Ruth Infante Paredes, and Marcelo Núñez Espinoza. "The Iconographic

Method Applied in the Design of Products with Cultural Demostration in the Creation of

the Tourist Destination." The Academic Research Community publication 2, no. 2 (2018):

9.

Fox, Nick J., and Pam Alldred. "New materialism." The SAGE encyclopedia of research

methods. London, UK: Sage. https://www. researchgate.

net/publication/320016117 (2018).

Kolko, Jon. "Design thinking comes of age." (2015): 66-71.

Sanoff, Henry. Visual Research Methods in Design (Routledge Revivals). Routledge, 2016.