AM 130: Complexity, Order, Novelty

Santiago Calatrava, Transit Hub for the World Trade Center

Unit (motif in textile design)

Identifiable part of the aesthetic form, such as color or geometric shape.

Complexity (and order)

The degree of stimulation from the:

Number of units

Physical quality of units

Degree of dissimilarity of units

Level of organization in the arrangement of units.

Novelty

Perceived newness of the units and their organization, based on comparison of the present form with forms of a past experience.

Greatest pleasure comes from adding a

High level of complexity, along with a maximum level of order

520 W 28th Street – Zaha Hadid Architects

Munich with the church of St. Ursula, Wassily Kandinsky

Date: 1908

“The Many Reasons John Galliano's Maison Margiela Artisanal Spring 2024 Couture Show Was So Impactful”

Preferred Level of Complexity and Order pt.2

Medium/Medium-High level of complexity is most interesting/pleasant

Inverted-U

When the relationship between complexity and pleasure is graphed, it makes an inverted U shape

The Fashion Cycle

You can see that the level of pleasure and the level of complexity are about the same.

Products may be classified as

Basics, classics, fashion, or postmodern designs

Art Nouveau Architecture in Porto Portugal, c. 1903.

Adolf Loos, 1909 – 12. The Looshaus in Vienna, known as “Vienna Modern”.

Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye, outside of Paris.

Completed in 1931

Complexity affected by the following components

Number of units

Degree of interest of units

Cohesion of units (i.e., sameness and arrangement)

Walter Van Beirendonck

Number of identifiable parts of the form

Complexity increases with an increase in the number of units

Whole relationship

Initial blending of units, due to sameness of units and regularity of arrangement

Part relationship

Form consists of a number of units with little cohesion

Novelty affects pleasure

In modern fashion, there is a medium-high level of novelty— some aspects are new, but the style/brand is recognizable

Preferred by many consumers

Design professionals

Provide order in complexity along with novelty for the consumer, viewer, patron.

Order may result from

Designer’s repeating design lines…

Fashion director’s identifying the new color story…

A Graphic Designer thinking about accessibility…

Developers

Must represent the identity of the brand

Reflect a certain level of complexity/ order & novelty desired by the brand’s target consumer,

These are things that exist in the DNA of the brand, and the design codes of the designer, house, or brand,

Dior c. 1953 and Dior c. 2008

Gatekeepers

Main purpose is to decrease complexity & provide order for others

Color forecasters help give clarity to the season’s color trends.

Promoters

In general, decreasing complexity of shopping environments leads to increased sales.

However, some consumers prefer shopping environments that consist of a higher level of complexity.