The Bauhaus

The Bauhaus first opened in 1919, it was a rebellion against the politics of futurism and the intricate art of classical designers, it was the leading school of art and design in the world. They believed that all designs should be focused on function as opposed to form.

The Bauhaus ideals are reflected in some aspects of modern design. For example, products are becoming more and more functional and are looking simpler and simpler. It could be said that the modern day Bauhaus is IKEA. In the chairs below, you can clearly see the Bauhaus influence in IKEA designs, both the Bauhaus and IKEA are concerned with functionality over form.

Wassily Chair by Marcel Breuer

Poäng Armchair from IKEA

Unlike the Bauhaus, I believe that function and form are equally important in design. Products that are all about function are interesting to the brain, but boring to the eyes, whereas products that are only about form are boring to the brain and interesting to the eyes. In terms of Children's Publishing, a story must be both functional and have an interesting form, it must be appealing visually to the child and also tell a good story.

If all design movements are a rebellion against something, what is worth rebelling against in present day? I think stereotypes and prejudice are worth rebelling against. I believe that everyone should have equal opportunities and should be treated with the same respect, regardless of race, gender, age or ability. This should be reflected in my work. There are very few things to rebel against nowadays, almost everything has been rebelled against. In terms of illustration, the only way that we can stand out from others' styles is to make our own styles and be nothing like other designers.