Note: This article was written for a previous version of the site and is likely out-of-date.

I don't have any real traditional design training, I took a few design classes like most British schoolchildren but in general I went in the direction of the more scientific subjects. However, I have a strong recollection of how one particular design idea was taught, the principle of Form versus Function. As the idea was introduced a horizontal line was drawn on the board with the word "Form" at one end and "Function" at the other, the lesson then went on to explain how design was about solving the conflict between Form and Function and that any design solution would be somewhere on that line.

My opinion is that this idea leads people to the conclusion that a product can't have both form and function, that the best you can ever achieve is a compromise. An example that springs to mind is Google, they could very easily have a homepage with better form and no additional overhead. But when people suggest that Google polish up their homepage, thousands of people rush to their defense arguing that Google's strength is its simplicity. People seem to be under the misconception that a more attractive design will somehow make the site more complex and difficult to use, they genuinely believe that form comes at the expense of function.

There is another definition of versus, one that isn't necessarily about pitting two sides against each other. I'm talking about the scientific definition. In science when you talk about one thing versus another you are probably referring to two variables in an experiment, but variables that aren't necessarily opposed. What you get is a two-dimensional graph, this is an approach which I feel is much better at illustrating the essence of design.

In this graph the red line would represent form versus function as I was taught in school, the blue line represents the possibility that form and function can increase with each other. The right side of the graph (shaded blue) shows the areas of good design, where function takes priority. The left side (shaded red) shows areas of bad design where we've focused on form. The top-right area is where we should all aim to be, it touches the 50/50 point on the old line, but that really is just the tip of the iceberg. This approach shows that we can reach solutions that ask for no compromise - it's possible for something to look nice and be usable. Design is not the battle of form and function, it's the marriage.

Originally published on 21st February, 2007.