Fusing Art and Design

For awhile I have been pondering the merit of art in design. As designers, we are consistently fed the idea that form follows function. But looking around at products being developed and bought today I have to wonder, is this phrase being taken too literally. Are products following function so closely that they lose any innovative or artistic quality altogether?

While trends drive what we do as designers, and although this is generally a positive phenomenon, there are negative drawbacks to this approach. Instead of creating beautiful, functional objects designers often settle for following trends. A good example of fusing art with design and trend setting comes from a small consultancy called Non Object. While their products are very functional, they are innovative in that they seamlessly join consumer needs with breathtaking forms.

It would be interesting to see more design move in this direction. Creating good products is one thing, but creating beautiful visuals that consumers would be irreversibly attracted to seems to be the next step.