Choose a student’s chair in your classroom. Discuss
how the form of a chair meant for a student may
be different from a chair meant for an adult. How
are chairs in a classroom different from chairs at
a dentist’s office? In someone’s living room? In
a bus? What purpose does a student’s classroom
chair serve? Could changes be made to the chair
to better serve its purpose? Taking into account
everything discussed, have each student redesign
a chair using the principles important in Henry
Dreyfuss’s designs: ease of use, aesthetic appeal,
clarity in form and function, and concern for end-use. Encourage students to brainstorm how the
function of the chair may change the form.
Elementary
Classroom activities
attempts to make a curved thermometer were
especially problematic. World War II halted the
development program but helped provide technical
solutions. The round itself developed over a period
of thirteen years and underwent several incarnations before its final form came to market. Radically different from its contemporaries, the round
was circular and not square, which made it easier
to mount on the wall, and it could be painted to
match the room in which it was situated. This
distinctive shape, its ability to be customized, its
readability, ease of use and its affordability (
retailing at $12.80, plus installation), coupled with a
strong marketing plan, virtually guaranteed its
entry into millions of American homes. Its longevity and success lies in its ease of use, aesthetic
appeal and affordability, clarity in form and function, and concern for end-use—all qualities that
helped make Honeywell a leader in the field of
controls, both for domestic and industrial environments.
Using the form and function of the T86 Round as
an example, hold a class discussion about form
and function (e.g., the circular form of the thermostat makes it easier to hang straight on a wall
and helped the thermostat to stand out from competitors, etc.). How does the form and the shape
of the thermostat influence the use of the object
and its success? Have students identify three
objects in the school that successfully unite form
and function and discuss why. Have students identify three unsuccessfully designed objects in the
school and articulate how the form of the object
could be changed to better suit the function. Students should use Dreyfuss as an inspiration when
brainstorming changes that could make a design
more functional.
Middle
With the invention of the T86 Round, Henry Dreyfuss made a leap from the previous design of thermostats. What changes in technology, resources,
and necessity allowed this transformation to happen? Consider the designs represented in the gallery cards: the chimneypiece designed by Pietro
Camporese the Younger and the radiator designed
by René Coulon. All three designs serve the same
function of providing heat. Think about how each
design is an advancement from the previous. Do
you see each as an improvement on the designs
from an earlier time period?
Do you see designs in your surroundings that
have shown an improvement on a previous design?
Why or why not?
• The design of vinyl records leading to MP3s
• The chalkboard versus the whiteboard
• The pay phone versus the cell phone
Other more recent leaps in design may be:
Discussion Questions
SchoolArts August / September 2008
The T86 Round was a monumental design in the
development of heating devices and thermostats.
Have students research examples of common thermostats being used today. Like Dreyfuss, students
should brainstorm innovative changes they could
make to the thermostats. They should take into
account today’s technology and materials. How
would students build off of Dreyfuss’s designs to
make them more appropriate for the twenty-first
century?
High School
SchoolArts is greatly indebted to the Cooper-Hewitt,
National Design Museum for providing the images and
text for Looking and Learning this year.
By Michelle Labrague, Barbara Pierce Bush, and Kim
Robledo-Diga. Labrague is an education fellow at the
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum; Bush is
education programs assistant at the Cooper-Hewitt,
National Design Musem; and Robledo-Diga is school
programs manager at the Cooper-Hewitt, National
Design Museum.
Knowing these three examples of leaps in
design, as well as the work of Henry Dreyfuss,
you take the leap! What leaps in design do you
think could be made on the school bus, a locker, a
backpack, etc.? Remember to consider Dreyfuss’s
principles of ease of use, aesthetic appeal, clarity in
form and function, and concern for end-use.
