Hasta La Ideas

The first result of a Google Image Search for “Technique”

“Is technique an example of overcoming ‘bad’ design, or is technique itself a form of design?”

So begins Sanjy009’s inquiry into “Technique vs. Design,” proceeding to illustrate the topic with a couple of examples, which have driven much of the discussion thus far. He starts with an anecdote about driver’s ed in Scandinavia: “Sweden teaches drivers to open their car doors with the opposite arm, so their bodies are facing backwards and the driver is better able to check their blindspot before opening the door” (it turns out it might be Amsterdam; no confirmation as of press time), followed by a discussion of the ergonomics on musical instruments.

The latter serves as the primary talking point; to Michael DiTullo’s point that “we are due for something new, but even most of the purely digital tools mimic analog inputs,” I would note that:

1.) I think the Ondes Martenot is a good example of how an avant-garde instrument still requires an intuitive UI: It’s essentially a theremin (i.e. a sine-wave generator) that has a graphic interface, as seen in this video overview (it starts a little slow, but gets pretty cool at 3:55; by the end, the interviewer notes that “It’s definitely the most ‘alive’-sounding electronic instrument… It has a very human quality to it.”) Radiohead fans might recognize the coveted synthesizer, which multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood has played on every one of their albums since Kid A; it also features heavily in his solo side projects.

2.) The Tenori-On also comes to mind—the short write-up on MoMA’s Inside/Out blog (they’ve acquired it in their permanent collection) offers a nice summary of how the 16×16 grid actually works.

Clockwise from top left: Ondes Martenot via Wikimedia Commons; Jonny Greenwood via Wikimedia Commons; Tenori-Onvia Wikimedia commons; Theremin player

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