In the first week of lecture, Housefield tried to introduce us to the world of design by giving us what he refers to as “the three big questions (plus one).” By giving us these questions, he had hoped that it would help us understand design in its entirety better than before. However the “plus one” question is actually the one that I am most interested in right now: what do we ask design to do?
My personal answer to that question is a seemingly endless list. I ask design to clarify, to invent, and to create. In general, I ask design to be purposeful. Which brings me to this IKEA table I came across when I was shopping with my sister. IKEA is known for their fashionable and trendy home furnishing and décor. But then I look at this table, and I wonder about the “design” of this table. To me, design must at least have some practicality and usefulness. This table appears to be designed so that the chairs can fit perfectly under the table, but if you look at where the people sit, EVERYONE must sit in a corner. Now if you ask me, the corner seat is the least comfortable of all seats at a table. So practically speaking, this table would definitely be the last table I would ever prefer to use in my kitchen.
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| IKEA Fusion Table http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50176836 |
On one note, I think this table is visually a good idea. Spatially, I will admit that it is well designed to not take up a lot of room. But practically speaking, I cannot see myself actually enjoying using this particular table because the comfort level seems so level. And in my opinion, the actual usefulness and comfort of a table should be an important factor in the design.
I love this table and have been coveting it for a while. I never really thought about the fact that people would sit at the corners but I did notice that one would have to sit on the chairs at an angle, with the corner between their legs. I think that people are supposed to sit on the sides of the table and straddle the legs (also potentially uncomfortable).
ReplyDeleteNow that I've examined its functionality, my dreams of owning this table are forever crushed. I guess I'll just have to go to Ikea and sit at the table and really figure it out for myself. I'll get back to you with my findings.