Taxonomy of Design

Interior design isn't usually considered a "science" the way quantum physics or paleontology are. But why not? It deals with matters of perception, psychology, energy use, flow of air and traffic, and a host of other topics which are entirely within the bounds of science. Like all arts, it is based on judgement and taste -- what looks good or looks right -- and has generally been done in an intuitive, subjective manner.

That may be changing. A group at Cornell are trying to develop a kind of "taxonomy" of design features. The project is called "Intypes" which is a typically tortured acronym for "Interior Archetypes Research and Teaching Project." (I think they missed a bet by not calling it "IntART" but apparently that's already taken by an Eastern European arts foundation.)

Anyway. If you prowl around the Intypes Web site linked above (and aren't irritated out of your skin by their use of uncapitalized sanserif labels for links) you'll find some pretty interesting stuff. They're trying to come up with names for things we've all seen -- for instance, an elaborate but non-functional mantlepiece in a modern apartment is a "ghost hearth." A commercial space which tries to look like a cozy living room is a "salon." And so forth.

You have to name things before you can think about them. The TV Tropes Wiki is another example of naming things which everyone has seen or experienced, but didn't have an easy way to describe. Architect Christopher Alexander has tried to do the same for the architecture of buildings -- and of course the daddy of them all was Vitruvius.

I find myself hoping that this effort leads to something more substantial. Architecture and design should be sciences. We can study how different environments affect people's brains and behavior. We can quantify, experiment, and analyze different buildings and interiors. Designs based on verifiable, measurable responses from the people who use and experience them ought to be better than designs based on fads, manifestoes, and cliques within the profession.

Comments

[Betty]

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Betty

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