FORM(EN) OHNE FUNKTION

Description

This project is a protest against standardised design, a homage to ornamentation, and an invitation to question familiar ways of thinking. Starting from the question of whether principles such as ‘form follows function’ overly restrict creative freedom, the work examines various positions on functionalism and the established rules of graphic design. The result is a book that uses a playful Cadavre Exquis approach, allowing 6.25 million functionless forms to be generated analogically from 50 characters. These can be downloaded via their respective numerical codes on an accompanying website (https://fohnef.xyz/), where users can also experiment digitally. The book turns the classic design principle on its head, deliberately giving form priority over function. A call for design that allows space for experimentation, diversity, and aesthetic expression — to rethink design itself.