Ethos, Pathos and Logos in Design by Richard Buchanan

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Table of Contents

The main role of design in a human life
The basic elements of design
The use of three elements in modern designs
Reference

The main role of design in a human life

Richard Buchanan casts light upon the basic elements of design in his work Declaration by Design: Rhetoric, Argument, and Demonstration in Design Practice. It is believed that design is effective when there are combined three elements provided by Aristotle, namely, logos, ethos, and pathos (Aristotle). Richard Buchanan treats design as the main means of influencing the audience for which the designers cater their works. He points out that “design is an art of thought directed to practical action through the persuasiveness of objects and, therefore, design involves the vivid expression of competing ideas about social life” (Buchanan, p. 94). Design is closely connected to technologies as far as technologies are also a kind of persuasion about a better life. Technologies are used to improve a human life while design aims at passing a particular message to the audience. Many designers pursue the idea of combining design with technology, making a harmonious integration simplifying its use in an everyday life.

The basic elements of design

Technological reasoning or logos

Richard Buchanan points out three basic elements of design, namely, technological reasoning or logos, character or ethos, and emotion or pathos (p.96). These are the main sources available for persuasion and successfully used by designers. The first element, technological reasoning, presupposes the ability of design to meet the needs of people and pass a certain idea. Products are persuasive when they correspond to real needs. Technological reasoning is based on an understanding of natural and scientific principles functioning like the premises for the construction of objects for use. It also depends on human interests and values. The function of the subject may be the same, but the variety of its design may satisfy the interests of different people. There are various kinds of design that are attractive only for a particular audience who understands its value. For example, the chair is a piece of furniture used for sitting. Although its function is unchanged, there is a great variety of chairs, such as, for example, Richard Riemershmid’s cane chair created in 1906 that is peculiar for its simplicity, on the one hand, and elegance, on the other hand, or Charles Mackintosh’s chair for the “Rose Boudoir” produced in 1902 that is peculiar of its refinement (Ferebee, p. 78). Although these chairs are produced nearly at the same time, their designs differ incredibly. These two chairs cater for different social classes. Probably, the first one is for the middle class of that time, while the second one is for the rich people. The social status influences the interests of consumers as far as rich people may afford to pay more money for a chair than the poor ones do. Design is an art of communication on two levels; namely, it tries to persuade the audience that it is useful, on the one hand, and important, on the other hand (Buchanan, p.97).

Character or ethos

The second element, character or ethos, presupposes the possibility of designers expressing themselves through the product. They usually represent themselves not as they are in a real-life but as they want to appear. Character does not influence the audience in such a great way as technological reasoning, but it is very important for the design itself (Buchanan, p. 101). Character persuades only through the level of authority that is so valued among the audiences with good sense and intelligence. If we take into account the example with chairs that have been described above, we may conclude that both the popular designers of that time, namely, Richard Riemerschmid and Charles Mackintosh, might use their popularity to sell their works for different sums of money despite the same technological reasoning (Ferebee, p. 78). Character is the element taken into account by designers, design critics, and real connoisseurs of art. The sophisticated design is very often underestimated and difficult for understanding. Popular design catered for masses is known as kitsch.

Emotion or pathos

The third element, emotion or pathos, is the right of any kind of design to be considered a masterpiece. Certainly, a lot of designers treat their works as fine arts and try to persuade their audience with the same idea. The main problem for design is that designers expressing their emotions do not take into account the values and desires of the ordinary audience. It is very often when objects of everyday use become the objects of contemplation. For example, such a simple object of everyday life as a chair may be a real masterpiece as for example, Frank Gehry’s cross-check armchair of 1992, wiggle side chair of 1972, and beaver chair of 1986 (Ferebee, p. 179). Although all these chairs were created by one designer, their design differs considerably. The designer used different approaches to the object of real-life making it an art masterpiece. The art historian, Joshua Taylor, points out, “To say that a line in a painting twist and turns is, of course, a highly figurative statement. It does nothing of the sort. It is we who twist and turn looking at it” (Buchanan, p 204). Some designers use the emotions of potential customers that do not connect to technological reasoning or character. Many designers base their work on popular beliefs about what is considered to be artful and beautiful.

The use of three elements in modern designs

From the above said, we may conclude that all three elements of the design argument are very important. Many designers combine all of them in their works so that design is considered to be not only useful but aesthetic. Simple objects of our life are presented like art masterpieces. These objects make our life easier, on the one hand, and provide us with aesthetic delight, on the other hand.

Reference

Aristotle (n.d.). Ethos, Pathos and Logos. Web.

Buchanan, R. (n.d.). Declaration by Design: Rhetoric, Argument, and Demonstration in Design Practice.

Ferebee, A. (1994). A History of Design from the Victorian Era to the Present: A Survey of the Modern Style in Architecture, Interior Design, Industrial Design, Graphic Design, and Photography. USA: Design Production.

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