Experimenting and Design

I my self, do not like to make extremely conceptual design, but can respect it. I want my work to be more about function than statement. At the same time I believe that there needs to be a level of experimentation and “out of the box thinking” required to produce new and innovating designs. Theses experiments are what lead a designer in a direction, most of the time this path that is fallowed, could not have been found without experimenting and mistakes. I think that the best place to experiment is with materials and techniques. There has to be a significant amount of time dedicated to experimenting, but it should be done in a manner that will lead to a finished product or project that is worth wile. There is absolutely a large amount of thinking that goes on with experimental design/ experiments, but it is more important what you do with the information that you gain. As far as Max Lamb’s Pewter Chair in Sand goes, what is it? What is it for? Is it Design to pour metal in a sand box or is it a performance art piece? I have no qualms about one-off/ low production objects, but there has to be a reason for it and I don’t see that in the Pewter chair. There is nothing that speaks to the process of casting in the design of the chair, On the execution of his Pewter stools, Lamb did use casting techniques to form the top surface, he carved the design into sand, and poured into that.