The paper offers a formalist definition of design, as an aesthetic medium whose essence is its aesthetic compositions, in juxtaposition to what I classify as rationalist and functionalist definitions, formulated respectively by Glenn Parsons in his 2016 The Philosophy of Design, and Jane Forsey in her 2013 The Aesthetics of Design.

Because design is so ubiquitous in our daily spheres, the formalism versus functionalism or rationalism distinction concerning design goes all the way back (or up) to a characterization of the human being—in our case as an aesthetician or a visual being or rather a user.

The corresponding normative question is whether design ought to aestheticize functional things, to be looked at, or to enhance usefulness,convenience, and functionality. Many will say both equally. But, I propose that design is first and foremost an aesthetically oriented field, nonetheless its essential functionality.

Trying to prove it, the paper examines the class of re-used designed objects as paradigmatic cases supporting a formalist definition of design.

Michalle Gal is a senior faculty member of the unit of History and Philosophy and Master program, Shenkar. The author of Aestheticism: Deep Formalism and the emergence of modernist aesthetics, and the forthcoming Visual Metaphors: a formalist theory of metaphors.

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For more information, contact: eberlats@fau.edu