The debate on aesthetics over function is something that is being argued over various different topic, with design being a very important one. In the article “should architects design provocatively ugly architecture that does not conform to Instagram’s aesthetic convention?” Will Jennings dives into today’s use of social media and the influence it has on the way we approach a design.
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Jennings (2019) starts by saying ‘Instagram has had a huge impact on the architecture of our cities and perhaps it is time that this changed’. I agree strongly with this statement as Instagram is at the centre of photo sharing across the world. It allows people to search and share any photo of video they desire which can also be a curse as well as a blessing. Having an ‘instagrammable’ image is reshaping the way we look and experience the simplest things including buildings and interiors. I think that this has begun to influence designers and the way they approach their designs in order to fit into the aesthetic Instagram image in order for people to appreciate its full potential.
The opposing argument explains that this increase of social expectation in a buildings aesthetics has started to influence designers. Jennings explains ‘from nowhere, this app seems to have become a critical element of urban design’. This suggests that people have an expectation of what a piece of architecture will conform to as if they have to look a certain way in order to be accepted on the app. I believe this is partly true as through my own experience with Instagram, designs are usually grand, innovative and clean. However, I also feel that the app isn’t the only example. Designers have always designed in order impress its clientele by constantly adapting through current trends.
The question stands, would someone create something completely different to the architecture we’ve become accustom to? Jennings goes on to say, ‘Perhaps architects should design provocatively ugly architecture, buildings which demand not to be photographed by virtue of not conforming to the Instagram aesthetic conventions of form, colour, wow or irony’. I agree with this statement as I believe this could create a very strong statement in order to stand out from the crowd and it also produces a new image. It will allow for a new idea of what makes a building ‘aesthetic’ and why.
This article has influenced my own practice as a designer as it shows that you don’t have to conform to specific standard. I really like the idea of creating something completely different that people may not have expected. It allows for a brand-new idea of what aesthetics is and who says it should be that way. I like designing something that’s innovative and personal to the brand/client. However, social media is a very big part of today’s society and there is no way of hiding away from it. The idea of being able to advertise and promote your designs through the apps is important. In order to do this, they have to conform into a certain design bracket in order to get the attention but finding a new and innovative way of doing this is something I will take away from this article.
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Jennings, W. Dezeen. (2019)."Should architects design provocatively ugly architecture that does not conform to Instagram's aesthetic conventions?". Retrieved from https://www.dezeen.com/2019/09/05/anti-instagram-architecture-will-jennings/
FIG 1 - https://www.dezeen.com/2019/09/05/anti-instagram-architecture-will-jennings/