Reading Summary:

The Nature and Design of Aesthetics - David Pye

Pye proposed that largest factors of a product or design is the economy and access. He also points out that design is limited by economy not technique. Technique far outstrips affordability. We are limited by the dynamics of the material. I think that a point he does not mention is how economy is associated with technique and how developments in technology often changes the dynamics of a material. The economy has always been a major influence on the designs that people make.  Often when speaking about products, the term “better” refers to what is “cheaper.”

Pye also makes a variety of distinctions between materials and how we view them. He separates our concept of materials into two camps, the concept of material and an actual piece of a material. Materials can be in a variety of states, forms and shapes. With Heat the very formation of the electron bonds within a material can be changed. There are thus an indistinguishable amount of ways that a “material” could be divided. Materials have varying characteristics like the hardness, size, shape, and malleability. When materials are used in man made products, we are altering their natural form and characteristics. As we invent new ways to alter a material we create a large amount of subgroups within the realm of the material.  In terms of with materials, all design is a tradeoff and to that extent a failure. Where that failure is allowed to enter in is an arbitrary result of the process of designing. He points out that much of design proceeds under the assumption that tools can bring us happiness but in his opinion tools can only avoid unhappiness.