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Where Does Generative Design Belong? Designers Must Decide
This was awesome!
Every technology that allows designers to make things differently is over-used and then perceived as "cheap", it has happened many times before and it will happen again. About GD, I think the structural capabilities will be more interesting and useful than the mere "organic tissue" look.
coool
I think GD can be aesthetic in the right applications, or with some tweaks. I agree with you, however, on the point of "I'd like the benefits of generative design to be largely invisible, used for internal support structures rather than highlighted as aesthetic elements". I think of it like I think of any other DFM- or 'engineering'-driven element. Ribs in a molded element are typically ugly, or at least, resolving them aesthetically presents a significant challenge. Hiding them behind a disparate aesthetic surface may be lazy, but it looks good. Leaving them exposed and making zero attempt to improve them aesthetically is even more lazy, and looks awful. However, if the subject of the design effort relies on highly-optimized engineering in order to be successful (i.e. aerospace industry), having visible structural elements may be a consequence of the optimization. In this case, spending the time to resolve the structure aesthetically can result in some surprisingly attractive aesthetic results.
To be clear, that effort was not made on the VW example above. Applying a smoothing function and painting it orange does not an attractive GD element make. Examples of well-resolved GD that come to mind are the Adidas Futurecraft 4D (allowing a GD element to drive a cohesive aesthetic, good hierarchy), Starck A.I. chair for Kartell (well-resolved GD elements without going overboard), and the ceiling of the University of Iowa's Voxman School of Music concert hall (blending multiple functionalities and design requirements while also accomplishing an impressive aesthetic -in a ceiling- is impressive to me, at least).
In summary, I agree with you for the most part, but I'd like to see designers continue to make the significant effort required to push the aesthetic envelope of GD and drive new and interesting designs without feeling like these things always need to be completely hidden.
Not mentioning Jake Evill's 'Cortex' 3D printed arm cast was a mistake. That's a perfect example of well-executed GD driving a _better_ aesthetic than I've ever seen in a perfectly appropriate application.
Problem is manufacturing
Actually the wheels are cast.
There are many generative design tools take into account manufacturing processes- these ones are of course geared towards additive or costly 5+axis machining but I've seen 2/2.5/3 axis generative design tools as well as the use of generative design to drive welded assemblies. I've admittedly seen less with molding but its still feasible that as the technology matures it will be more refined to practical application.
I think Generative and Parametric design are brilliant, but it's up to designers to use them correctly. With the right inputs and boundaries I think it could make a very interesting and aesthetically pleasing element of a larger designed object. I remember seeing some prosthesis and medical forms designed parametrically, and I thought they fit their use and had a fashionable element to them... which I don't think VW captured with this project.
The main problem I see with the VW concpet is that these structures are not credible. I don't believe they gain weight, I don't believe the structure is more sound. The seat foot is ridiculous in itself (and will be a mess to clean). It is style over design.
I agree with the rets of your take, GD can be very interesting for intrenal structure, and maybe for other uses, the exemples so far are quite bad.
I've wanted to play with this for years but I'm a solidworks/alias guy.
I saw an article on it that used GD to come up with the general concept, then the designer 'surfaced' the web like structure to create something beautiful, striking, and manufacturable.
I agree with the invisible standpoint as well, I appreciate the technology is early in its development but its clear strong suit is mostly mechanical, not aesthetic. In fact, I think most of the products that are trying to use generative design as an A-surface exercise are as you explained as "grotesque." Good designers will definitely adapt, however, there is something disappointing about a technology possibly disrupting a lot of the things many (most?) designers enjoy about designing in the first place and leaving the profession to decide if its what they want to continue to spend their life doing. Nice write up, I am looking forward to continuing to explore GD and see where it takes us, hopefully on a positive path!
Resonates a little with another article I read (I thought on Core but now can't find it) about the proliferation of parametric/computational design in architecture and how now that an everyone and their mother can throw a Voronoi cell structure at a render and call it a day the distinction between talent and mere visual interest was muddied (should that matter idk).
Yeah was thinking the same - if its looking grotesque or misplaced could it be that the inputs are insufficient?