A designer is always instigated to create the new – but what is the real new?
In theory, there is nothing 100% fresh – something entirely new is something unrecognizable: As everything that we recognize is based in our experiences and comparisons with what we already know, anything outside this knowledge is “invisible” to us – unless we are able to find at least a little clue that can lead us to discover what it’s made for, its meaning.
It is right to say, in this context, that if you create a truly new kind of spoon, for example, this spoon will not be recognized because it will not have any kind of possible existing clue that someone could use to find out what that object means, its use, etc. In essence, a 100% new spoon will never be… a spoon. So, the designer creates a spoon with only a certain degree of “newness”, because it still needs some basic properties as its fundamental utility: e.g. grab liquid food.

The main role of a designer is to recognize the various needs and expectations of his clients, of the people that will buy, use or consume what is been developed.
The Bauhaus principle was “form follows function”, but we know today that it is not completely true, some methods you just can use in certain environment or situation, but you can’t take it as a universal law. If you are familiar with the Phillip Stark’s design, you will note that the form is not imposed by the function, that he can abstract from the function the most intrinsic meaning, or even subvert it.

This is not a postulation that it is forbidden to use the word “new”, but a designer must have his thoughts in his favour, having the full conscience of the creation process.

Aluisio Barbosa, Graphic Designer

Thanks Luciano Passuello!