Transparent Design, the philosophy that reveals the nature of the products

From functional design to transparent design: the evolution of industrial design.

Have you ever wondered why most technological products are completely covered without allowing to see their internal structure or their electronic components? I have, that’s why I decided to do some research on the topic, hoping that someone else will be interested and enjoy the reading.

But first… some context: I’m a software development engineering student passionate about design. One day, browsing the Internet, I came across the Nothing Phone 1, a smartphone created by an apparent startup with a clear differentiator: its design. The Nothing Phone had the back completely transparent, revealing its electronic circuits and the distribution of the phone’s connections, it was something completely new for me, almost a mystical experience, the inexperienced developer seeing the technological nakedness of a new disruptive, casual and stylish phone.

That’s when I asked myself why don’t they make more products like this? I started to think that they were more visually attractive for me, a completely subjective opinion, however, I soon began to see their clear objective advantages.

In these times, although there are many people who understand technology and who feel close to it, there are also many other people who do not understand it and who see tech devices as a kind of magical thing that, no one knows how, but it does things and solves problems.

I think that covering the electronics only distances people from understanding how they work, while discovering their components can bring the user closer to what the product really is, unmasking its general simplicity and maybe, with luck, the final user ends up thinking something like: “you know? It’s not that complicated actually, they are wires connected to each other and electronic circuits, I can understand it”.

So, starting from this short story where I start thinking about this product design philosophy, I decided to investigate this industrial trend, reveal its origins, historical context and philosophy; but first… what is design?

Are you interested? let’s go for it!!!

¿What is Design?

• Finding the right physical components of a physical structure (Alexander, 1963).
• A goal-directed problem-solving activity (Archer, 1965).
• Decision making, in the face of uncertainty, with high penalties for error (Asimow, 1962).
• Simulate what we want to make (or do) before we make (or do) it as many times as may be necessary to feel confident in the final result (Booker, 1964).
• Relating product with situation to give satisfaction (Gregory, 1966).
• The performing of a very complicated act of faith (Jones, 1966).

Note that the definitions of the 60s have a practical focus, oriented to the functionality of the product that is designed. It is clear that each definition differs a lot from the others, it seems that there are as many design processes as authors who write about it. It should be mentioned that there is no reference to the activity of drawing or putting ideas on paper in any of the previous definitions.

From the previous definitions, we can see that the process of designing is an act of faith, where the designer tries to solve a problem by making decisions based on experience and the collective imagination of the historical period and the context in which they live.

Although in the 60’s the focus of the design process was more functional, it changed over time to more creative solutions, where the user experience became increasingly important, reaching the point where we are now, where both the functional part and the satisfaction and emotions generated in the final user are valued. This is where Transparent Design comes in, but… What is transparent design?

Transparent Design is a type of industrial design that consists of showing the internal components of a product, such as electronic circuits, wires or batteries, through a transparent or translucent cover. In this way, the user can see how the product works and appreciate its complexity and beauty.

The philosophy behind transparent design is to create a more intimate connection between the user and the product, by revealing its essence and its internal logic. It also seeks to convey a feeling of honesty, trust and simplicity, by not hiding anything from the user.

In addition, transparent design can have an educational effect, by showing how the different components of a product are assembled and connected.

Some examples of products with transparent design are:

• The iMac G3 (1988), the first Apple computer with a transparent case that showed its internal components.

• The GameBoy Color, the Nintendo portable console that had a transparent version that showed its base board and its buttons.

• The Transparent Speaker, a wireless speaker with an aluminum frame and a glass front panel that shows its speakers and its amplifier.

• Nothing Phone, transparent phone by Nothing.

After seeing a few examples of transparent designs, lets talk about a brief history of industrial design.

A designer who is considered the precursor of the philosophy of transparent design is Christopher Jones, a British engineer and professor who wrote the book Design Methods in 1970. In this book, Jones proposed two types of methods that designers use: the black box and the transparent box.

The black box refers to a way of designing in which the designer produces results without explaining how he obtained them, relying on his intuition and experience.

In this method, the most important part of the design process is the one in which the idea disappears in the designer’s mind and becomes unreachable for consciousness, forming a solution for a problem based on the subjective experience of the individual who experiences the creative act. This theory talks more about how ideas arise from the unconscious and from one’s own experience. The design process seen as an irrational and organic process, typical of the subconscious and past experience.

The transparent box refers to a way of designing in which the designer shows the components and functioning of his product, seeking greater understanding and communication with the user.

Jones defended the use of the transparent box as a way to improve the quality and innovation of design, by allowing greater analysis, evaluation and participation of users. Jones also advocated for a systemic vision of design, in which social, environmental and ethical aspects of products are considered.

This method implies that the designer has perfect knowledge of what he is doing and why he is doing it. The designer seen as a rational machine.

Jones’s book was one of the first to systematize the design process and propose a scientific methodology for it. Its influence can be seen in the development of disciplines such as industrial design, interaction design, service design and social design.

Christopher Jones’s transparent design is related to the Bauhaus school of design in several aspects. Both movements share the idea that design should be functional, honest and simple, and that it should show the essence and logic of products.

They also coincide in the search for an integration between art, technology and design, and in the consideration of the social and ethical aspects of design.

However, there are also some differences between transparent design and Bauhaus. Transparent design focuses on showing the internal components of the products, while Bauhaus is more interested in geometric shapes and primary colors. Transparent design develops in a post-war context and criticism of consumerism, while Bauhaus emerges in a period of industrialization and optimism for progress.

In conclusion, Christopher Jones’s transparent design can be seen as an evolution or reinterpretation of some of the Bauhaus principles, adapted to a new historical and cultural context.

Transparent Design is a way to connect the user with a product and show them the simplicity of the device and provoke a feeling of honesty and trust.

If you like this little story, feel free to give me a clap or comment your ideas. Also, i have write about videogame development in te past for those who are interested, thanks for reading!