Elegance of Constraints

Stumbled across this transcript of an interview with the designer Charles Eames.

Mme. L. Amic: Does the creation of Design admit constraint?

Charles Eames: Design depends largely on constraints.

Mme. L. Amic: What constraints?

Charles Eames: The sum of all constraints. Here is one of the few effective keys to the design problem: the ability of the designer to recognize as many of the constraints as possible, his willingness and enthusiasm for working within these constraints. The constraints of price, size, strength, balance, time and so forth. Each problem has its own peculiar list.

Mme. L. Amic: Does Design obey laws?

Charles Eames: Aren’t constraints enough?

This has strong echoes of Fred Brooks’ notion of conceptual integrity and highlights the importance of constraints and their affect on design. Constraints are what breed elegance, as they are what give you the clearest idea of the problem before you and they relieve you from the oppression of infinite choice — “Form is liberating!”. But it takes discipline to stay within your self-imposed structure of constraints and not succumb to creeping requirements and bloat à la the second-system effect.