This is the first audio podcast from Sandal Woods. Neil Lamens of Furnitology Productions is my guest; we discuss Form in design. The following are a few of the things we discussed:
- Form vs. function – the old adage
- The benzene ring form
- Kaleo Kala – an analogy
- Period furniture, with emphasis on the 60s, when form was just about anything you wanted it to be!
- What has transpired since the bean bag chair, “a living form”?
- Are we as woodworkers in a period of discovery, so that we can move forward with design?
- If you will attend the Woodworking in America Conference, would you be interested in having some additional conversation about Form in design?
We would love to hear from our readers what you thought about this first podcast, and especially about the theme, Design: Form. We will address a new topic on design in the near future.
NOTE: You can download the MP3 file. Simply right-click on the download link above, and select Save Link As…
Acknowledgement: Music used with permission of D&D music label, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Portions of one track used: Various Artists – D&D, Historia Del Tango – La Decada Gloriosa – Vol. 2-15,Quejas De Bandoneón.
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About Al Navas
Hey Al,
Very nice interview with Neil. His insights are always enlightening.
It is interesting to contrast Neil’s views with those of Graham Blackburn that I am currently writing about on my blog.
The thing that I wonder is whether there is an implicit understanding of function (and the various constraints that may be involved in any design effort) that is already there before one embarks on an exploration of form. Rather than pitting form against function it seems to me that the exploration of design involving the two is an intertwined process where function is represented by any constraints that you may have and the form is the result of the design efforts while considering the look desired and those constraints. For example, something to be used to sit on (i.e. a chair of some sort) can take many forms but there are always some constraints that are bound to be there and deal with when designing that piece.
Keep up the great work!
–Mark
The Craftsman’s Path
Thanks, David! I am really glad you liked it so much; I am sure Neil will be delighted to read your comments.
I had a blast doing this with Neil; he always brings so much to the table, that it pulls you into the deep well.
Al -
That was an absolutely fascinating interview. Wow, talk about twists and turns! Somehow you guys got the benzene ring, bean bag chairs and the scientific method all in one conversation about furniture design!
David