FFF

FFF. Form Follows Function. Every contemporary designer aspires to reach THAT moment of the (in)famous concept of clarity in design. The term is a simple way to describe a level of purity in design. A moment where all the ornaments are pealed back, and you are left with the bear minimum needed to sustain the function of the chair/building/kitchen. 

Alexa's beaming 'circle of death'

This weekend as we were putting our christmas tree up, we were joined by a new member to our technical family - Alexa; a wireless voice activated speaker. The joy in our household quickly fizzled as it was clear Alexa was all Function and no Fun, the ultimate electronic FFF. Unlike Apple's Siri, Alexa would not respond to silly questions my 6y boy had come up with, leaving him hanging with her blue round 'circle of death' (as my 10y calls it) beaming in front of his eyes. I'm no Siri fan, to be honest all these voice activated devices make me feel uneasy, but at lease she has some artificial intelligence sense of humor built into her. 

Looking deeper into pure functional form of things is a true design exercise. I'll be the first to admit that I too, am a purist, coffee will be coffee no hazelnut-vanilla flavor for me, and I admire clean modern lines in clothing, furniture, light fixtures, and spaces. Usually things that are made to function well, will be less wasteful and harmful to our environment. BUT then I find something is lacking. A human touch, a smile, a sprinkle of sparkle. 

As we brought in our christmas tree, our usually clean lined home, suddenly became friendlier. It smelt like pine, and by the time we were done decorating our spirits were happy and joyful. If ever there was an antithesis to FFF - it's christmas. It's not sustainable, no clean lines, no function what so ever, and full of ornaments. What a christmas tree lacks in function it makes up for in full blown spirit, a magical feeling that we can put last year and it's troubles to bed, that rejuvenation is on its way. Not functional, yet truly valuable for us as humans to feel. 

We should not want to live an a highly functional society that in many ways acts like Alexa. Just looking into the personalities that have brought the likes of Siri and Alexa to the world will allow us a window into the algorithms that rule our day to day searches, and more important - finds. They narrow our peripheral view of things in life, they eliminate exploring further in new ways. This is alarming because as much as I like clean lines, and functional spaces, I love having happy sloppy and messy mistakes that allow me to pause and smile, remind me that after all I am human that not only Functions but also Feels. 

The First Impression is the Deepest

First impressions are lasting impressions, this usually is said, in reference to meeting new people. The same holds true to spaces people walk into. The psychology and research behind this tenth of a second moment are extensive and interesting to read about. Our conceptions (misconceptions), primal thoughts, fears, judgment are all in hyper-mode when we first encounter a person or space.

When I first walk to meet a client, usually at their home or office, I pause just a few seconds before I enter. And after adjusting the sunglasses over my head, I'll take a deep breath and walk into the space - trying to make the most of the that tiny instinctual first impression moment. That moment to me packs a powerful tool I draw upon time and time again throughout the whole design process. It's an authentic rare and fragile moment, and trying to re-create or change that moment, especially for small businesses, is a challenging process. That first impression usually sets the expectation and mode of the encounter. Same as people put effort into the suit they will be wearing the morning of a job interview, that same care and effort should be taken into creating that fist impression moment of entry to a space. But most of us neglect that unique and one of a kind transitional entry space (be honest now - how does your home or office entryway look like?). It's usually  last on my client's list to invest in, especially at an age where having a reception area is becoming more more obsolete. Herein there lies the biggest mistake I feel many do.

Stop for a moment and think about any event you walk into. Break it down to every millisecond you were there - were you hot or cold, did anyone greet you, how did the space smell, was the light bright or dim, were you able to orient yourself easily, was the ceiling high or low, was there anything that caught your eye, how was the sound around you, was it crowded, were you able to find a place you'd feel comfortable standing in. The reason I ask you to break down that first impression feeling at an event, is because when entering one, we come geared up to absorb these details. Now ask these questions about how you feel when you first walk into a job interview at your future company. Try and notice what are the first things you see/feel/smell/touch. I urge many clients to put some effort into that space (a good example of grand scale entry spaces are hotel lobbies).

The best first impression masters I can think of is actually the Catholic church. Any big cathedral will have the same sort of look and feel to it (brand and corporate identity reenforced by design); A grand entryway, then as you walk through the door the ceiling above you is lowered to create intimacy or make you feel small and meek as your eyes are automatically drawn ahead of you, where the ceiling is an unimaginable hight, and a clear line of vision is set to the one of the most recognizable icons in the world. A perfectly orchestrated  first impression delivery. 

Think about your brand-identity, or as it's now being called, company culture, not only in terms of web presence, letter heads, cool lounge areas, and logos. Think about the message you'd like to convey in that fleeting precious first impression moment.