Form + Content

Gary Hustwit's Objectified is a documentary film that truly reinforces the idea of every object we encounter having an innate purpose.  This purpose not only controls how the object is used or how we interact with it, but how the object was designed to look, feel, sound, etc.  Essentially, the purpose (or "content") is inseparable from its form.

Like Dieter Rams, I agree that Apple has some of the most well designed products on the market today.  What is most remarkable with their products is how integral function is to the product's appearance.  Jonathan Ive describes their interaction perfectly: Apple does not add unnecessary bells and whistles, rather everything has a purpose so intuitive and user-friendly, that it "feels almost undesigned."  My favorite example of this philosophy being the indicator light for the battery charging.  When you need to know what is going on, the light tells you.  When you don't need this information, the light disappears and the area where it is located looks just like the surrounding material.  This approach to design leads to a wonderfully minimalist, inconspicuous, and gorgeous design that is fully user-friendly and multifunctional despite its uncluttered form.

In the film, Andrew Blauvelt quotes Henry Ford, who said "every object tells a story, if you know how to read it."  To me, this quote sums up the relationship between form and content in design.  An object is created with an idea in mind and, in creating a form for that idea, the designer also strives to pass on that idea to the consumer.  If the design fails to pass on this idea, or content, ultimately the design fails.  Even if the consumer is unaware that he or she is receiving a message, it can be as subtle as "scissors are for cutting," and if he or she uses scissors to cut, the design is effective.  The conversation between designer, object, and consumer (or viewer) must have back-and-forth from every party involved in order to effectively tell an object's story.