The architect Louis Sullivan coined the famous maxim “form follows function.” According to Sullivan, the exterior look of an object such as a building should be consistent with its interior functions. But if you consider the way Apple Computer’s hot-selling iPad and iPhone are designed and manufactured, Sullivan’s concept has literally been turned inside-out.
Looking at an iPad, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to say that form follows function; it’s a simple flat tablet that could double as a small tray for carrying wine glasses. But with an iPad or its smaller sibling, the iPhone, the user can write the next Great American Novel or reach out to the world via the Internet. Its extensive functionality stays inside and is not at all reflected on the surface.
For the average person who owns an iPad or iPhone, the actual workings of the device are almost pure magic. The typical user has only a vague notion at best of how the iPad functions, and rarely any knowledge of what lies inside and how and where the unit is assembled and manufactured. And for most users, that’s not a sticking point.
The scholastics of the Middle Ages used to argue about how many angels could dance on the head of a pin. Today those scholars might ruminate on how many functions can emanate from an iPad or an iPhone. How many parts does it take to make one? How is the iPad designed, manufactured, and distributed? You wouldn’t have a clue about any of this by looking at the unit’s exterior.