PRINCIPLES OF FORMATION IN CONTEMPORARY DESIGN: BETWEEN FUNCTIONALITY AND AESTHETICS

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to provide a theoretical understanding of the principles of form-formation in contemporary design, taking into account the evolution of ideas about form, its functional purpose, and aesthetic expressiveness within the context of contemporary culture and technological development. The study aims to identify the patterns of integrating utilitarian, constructive, and artistic aspects in the creation of design objects, as well as to determine the role of balancing functionality and aesthetics as the foundation for harmonious form-formation. Particular attention is given to the analysis of methodological principles that ensure a holistic approach to form design in both educational and professional design environments. Methodology. The study is based on a comprehensive approach that combines systemic, historical-typological, structural-functional, and aesthetic-analytical methods, allowing the identification of patterns in form-formation in contemporary design. The work employs a comparative-analytical method to trace the evolution of ideas about form within the context of changing artistic and technological paradigms; morphological analysis to examine the structure and compositional principles of design objects; and a semiotic approach to interpret form as a carrier of meaning within the cultural space. Additionally, an art-analytical method is applied to determine the aesthetic aspects of form-formation, and design methodology based on design thinking is used to analyze the functional appropriateness of forms. The methodological foundation of the study integrates theoretical principles from aesthetics, design theory, composition, and cultural studies, ensuring an interdisciplinary character of the research and allowing form-formation to be considered not only as an artistic phenomenon but also as a cultural, semantic, and technological process. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of the study lies in a comprehensive understanding of the principles of form- formation in contemporary design as the interaction of functional, constructive, and aesthetic aspects. For the first time, the article proposes a systematic classification of modern principles of form-formation, taking into account the evolution of design approaches–from the classical idea that “form follows function” to contemporary multimedia and parametric practices. Particular attention is given to the balance between functionality and aesthetics, which allows identifying key patterns in harmonizing utilitarian and artistic elements in the creation of design objects. The study is distinguished by an interdisciplinary approach: the integration of methods from art studies, composition, semiotics, and design methodology enables the assessment of form not only as a constructive object but also as a cultural and semantic phenomenon. Moreover, the methodological aspect of applying form-formation principles in design education is highlighted, particularly the role of sketching, model-making, and foundational form-formation in developing professional design thinking. Thus, the study not only clarifies contemporary principles of form-formation but also provides a scientific and methodological basis for their application in professional and educational design practice. Conclusions. As a result of the study, it has been established that contemporary form-formation in design is a multidimensional process that combines functional, constructive, and aesthetic aspects. The evolution of ideas about form has been analyzed, from the classical principles of “form follows function” to contemporary parametric and multimedia practices, which allows identifying patterns for harmonizing utilitarian and artistic elements in the creation of design objects. It has been found that effective form-formation requires an interdisciplinary approach, integrating methods from art studies, composition, semiotics, and design methodology, which enables the evaluation of form as a constructive, cultural, and semantic phenomenon. In addition, the importance of sketching, model-making, and educational disciplines that develop design thinking is emphasized for implementing the principles of contemporary form-formation in professional and educational practice. Thus, the study confirms the necessity of a comprehensive approach to form-formation that combines functionality and aesthetics and provides scientific and methodological guidelines for applying these principles in design and education.