Beauty and Utility

In the 1865 publication of The Grammar of Ornament Owen Jones states that “Construction should be decorated, decoration should never be purposely constructed.” His belief came following the Industrial Revolution in Britain in the late eighteenth century. During this time there was a huge expansion of mass industrial manufacturing following the vast increase in population and economic growth. Consequently, the value of hand made, smaller scale goods diminished and the newly established middle class gained access to goods which emulated those of the upper class. There became a blur between the upper and middle classes and Jones’s idea reflects the need to re-define the separation. This lead to a set of principles, standards and models for manufacturers and designers to follow. Jones along with other design reformists including Pugin believed that design should be functional and simple and unnecessary embellishment and decoration should be avoided.

The light stands At Your Demand by Daniel Loves Objects pictured are an example of “decoration constructed”. They are purposely made to look like a person, which goes against the true principles of the design reformists such as Jones and Pugin. The shape and movement that is created is an imitation of human nature.

I have come to disagree with the idea that construction should be decorated and never purposely constructed. Without the construction of decoration design as we know it would not exist. I think that more refined and simplistic designs have become a matter of taste and preference, not related to the social classes which are harder to define in today’s society. If everyone stuck to Jones’s idea the evolution of design would be strictly limited. People wouldn’t be able to express themselves as much or push design boundaries which are what create conversation and debates. I think that a lot if design today is purposely created as decoration and taking that away is like taking away a designer’s creativity and purpose.