WHAT IS DECEPTIVE DESIGN?

The iconography of furniture and functional objects is often straightforward and simplistic. But, if certain qualities of furniture/objects are inherent for reasons of comfort, stability, use and manufacturing, where can the designer diverge from this tradition? Can furniture have other layers of meaning, purpose and use? With this in mind, can design be deceptive?

The focus of this exhibition is to push the envelope of our common conceptions of furniture and furnishings and explore new roles for design to take on. Each of the works selected for this exhibition will employ a means of deception (visual, mechanical, material, functional, etc) and show that furniture and functional objects can be more than just comfortable or useful.

Perhaps equally deceptive is the design process. Design is still a mystery to those who aren’t practitioners themselves. As designers, we find ourselves constantly explaining our role, often defending its place or importance, and yet we often exacerbate this by keeping our sketches or ideas private, only revealing our work in the form of finalized renderings or polished prototypes. Deceptive Design also seeks to unveil the creative process by showing images from the design process alongside each finished piece.

Deceptive Design: Is what you see really what you get?