Properties
In the paper, Doblin demonstrates that some items are designed purely for performance (crow bars or paper clips, are his examples) or purely for appearance (Christmas ornaments or trophies), while most items fall somewhere on the continuum between these polar opposites. As a side note, Doblin observes that, once in the hands of customers, these properties might be inverted; his example is the Porsche that is designed more for performance, but is used for appearance, if it is driven only on city streets.
Complexity
The three levels of complexity Doblin describes conform to the level of interaction a designed item has with other designed items. A products is a relatively distinct physical item that has been designed to address a distinct need or set of needs. A unisystem is a coordinated set of products, used systematically to serve a need. Unisystems can include social structures and interactions and are not necessarily identifiable as individual products. A kitchen and a factory are two examples given. Doblin finally identifies multisystems as "sets of competing unisystems," which might include a particular market class or sector of an industry. The office equipment market is an example given, where many firms (unisystems) compete with one another.
Matrix
The resulting matrix of design has six cells which can be summarized as follows:
- Performance Product Design -- is the traditional purview of engineering designers, who develop products with relatively clear and quantitative design requirements.
- Appearance Product Design -- is the traditional purview of "designers" or stylists.
- Performance Unisystems Design -- is the design of a system composed of individual products working together to perform a defined task or function. Examples can range from "compact kitchens to NASA space missions."
- Appearance Unisystems Design -- is, in essence, a performance unisystem, where the principal desired function is "to deliver a satisfying experience." Disneyland or a world's fair are two examples given.
- Performance Multisystems Design and
- Appearance Multisystems Design -- in Doblin's view are similar enough to be described together, as they are both sets of unisystems competing against one another. Two be successful, either multisystem design would involve consideration of an enormous number of interactions and correspondences between the unisystems that constitute them, and involve whole supporting unisystems of "catalogs, brochures, signing, nomenclature, advertising, packaging," etc.
The key point is that each of these six kinds of design requires a different approach and a different kind of designer. Skill at one particular kind of design in no way indicates likely success in another category.
