On Taste

The Week 3 article by Robert Clay titled On Taste is from the first chapter of the book Beautiful Thing 2009.  It was an interesting and thought provoking article. This article begins by pointing out that taste is inextricably linked with fashion and design. The author poses the question "what is good taste" and then begins to explain that taste is a very subjective thing that is influenced by culture, fashion and time.  The author goes on to point out that every movement in design has had its critics and that there are universal ideals that describe good design.  The author then goes on  to explain these ideals in greater depth.

The ideals Stephen Bayley lists are:
1. An intelligibility in form so you can understand its purpose.
2. A coherence and harmony between the form and details.
3. An appropriate choice of materials to the function.
4. An intelligent equation between construction and purpose so the available technology is exploited to the full.

The author goes on to address the different design cliches and movements that hve given rise to these them. Bayley then presents the reader with a few case studies, such as one on the crock-pot by Michael Graves and one on Go furniture by Ross Lovegrove. The article concludes with a look at architecture and interior design in Thailand.  By this he makes a connection with design and the context of culture. This provided me with an insight into Thai architecture such as the need for steep pitched roofs that flair out at the base, and the reason behind the materials. This article caused me to think beyond my own ideas about taste and the need to be educated and informed in the history of design.