Our Take - 5 Sep, 2015 – 3 Min Read

Why we launched 
Function & Form

Todd Padwick
By Todd Padwick

Founder, Creative Director

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I am very privileged to have worked with some pretty amazing creative agencies in my career. Each one gave me alternative perspectives, turning everything I had leant previously on its head. I have certainly developed invaluable experience from some of the most talented people I will ever meet. But in all that time, I still never found an agency that was quite right for me. No one seemed to approach web and interaction design the way that made the most sense to me.

No one seemed to approach web and interaction design the way that made the most sense to me.

I have always seen a benefit to merging the design and development process. To me, code is just as much a part of the designer's toolbox as Photoshop or Sketch. I also believe in working closely with the client. The designer/client relationship should be a two-way street. We should be helping the client to understand why certain design decisions have been made by taking them with us on the creative journey. However, we should also be constantly learning from them. No one understands the ins and outs of their business as much as they do. With that in mind, I eventually reached a point where I needed to put all my ideas and methods into practice:

So, I am very proud and excited to announce the launch of Function & Form. A digital creative studio specialising in web and interaction design.

The ultimate goal for us is to utilise a beautifully effective, user-focused design to unlock the full potential of our clients.

Why are we called 'Function & Form'?

User experience is not limited to the digital world. It can be anything from the controls of a Boeing 747 to the layout of a supermarket.

I have always taken inspiration from everything around me. Including designers in completely different fields. One, in particular, is Louis Sullivan, an American architect often referred to as the father of the modern skyscraper. His career was based around the concept that 'form should always follow function'.

Beauty found in nature is a bi-product of it's function. So why shouldn't it be the case with design?

This has always resonated with me. I believe in solving the problem, then allowing the form to develop naturally. Evolution is the ultimate example of this: beauty found in nature is a bi-product of function so why shouldn't it be the case with design? Therefore, function beats form when form doesn't function.

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