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Subject: 
Re: I feel Blue but aesthetics is gray.
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.technic
Date: 
Fri, 21 Jul 2006 02:14:01 GMT
Viewed: 
21912 times
  
  
I am a strong believer in “form follows function.” The reason for this is that function can be evaluated based on absolute criteria- physics, ergonomics, ect. Aesthetics is not evaluated on absolute criterian other than beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Absolutely, this is a technic forum, lets assume we all have the technic function covered. The form aspect however, like you say is in the eye of the beholder. We all know lego have an extencive colour pallet and this thread has sited occasions where TLG have produced standard parts in non standard colours in circumstances that seem to be at an added expence. For this reason TLG must believe in ” Function preceeds Form which preceeds production expence”. Reducing the expence is one of the benifits comming from standarising a part in a particular colour however this is at the expence of Form (in the eye of the beholder). This is truely a tricky topic at present given TLGs current strategy changes with upper management changes and the flow on effect through out the company. Trying to analyse it in it’s turbulent state would not be for an ameture like me. Which is why i am asking questions.
  
One reason to be able to match an exact shade is if you are modeling something to be exactly like something else. If you are going to do that, then Technic is not a good genre to be in.
But i do build Technic and TLG have produced the parts i want in the colours i want in the past. There is still current evidence that they are willing to bend the standard colour-part rule in some circumstances.

   Technic Legos are basically a functional version of linear art. They display the inside workings of a machine which is what makes them original and educational. The goal is function first, aesthetics second. If Aesthetics is your first priority, then model team is a better genre to be in.

You might want to clarify that Nathan. There are a lot of builders here that produce excellent looking Technic creations and take alot of pride in thier work. Can a clear line be drawn between to two themes ? I think the two compliement each other and as such, if a technic creation can look better, then try to make it look better. If a part exists in a colour that if used would make your creation look better in your eyes, then use it.

My issue is i personally believe that TLG could have picked a more visually neutral colour for this common part.

  
However, I understand what you mean when you say that gray and black are universal colors for functional pieces. Since TLG has decided to make them in all colors, aesthetic purists will essentially have to fork over more money to get their designs all in one color or in “matching colors.”

This is good news for any technic builder utilising Blue. In my opinion, not so good news for any other colour.

The
   more importance a builder puts in getting an exact shade of a certain color, the less they can do with the resources they have. The more colors TLG produces, the more money it costs the builder to get bricks in “matching colors.” TLG probably makes money off of kids in the toy store that arent picky about colors because they don’t do anything with a set they buy other that put it together and put it on the shelf. There are more of those kids than there are of us serious builders, and kids in the toy store are attracted to bright colors.

But again an example of when TLG bent the rules because the colour is a very important selling point is with the technic enzo. Why couldn’t the rules be bent for axle pins ? The 2L axles in that set were black so the axle pins could have been red to make it look beeter.
  
Basically I am saying it pays to put aesthetics second to function. I try to color coordinate pieces in my MOC’s, but that sometimes means making MOC’s in a different color than is typical in real life or making them multi-colored. I also have enough pieces in enough colors to get away with color coordination.

Likewise, however to date i don’t own any red or yellow axle pins with friction. There were a lot of people claiming their investement in classic grey was useless now that new grey didn’t match. I think the issue is similar in that no collours appart from blue appear to match blue axle pins.


  
If you are trying to do the most with what you have, than worrying about colors is the worst thing you can do.

I like 8435 in blue because blue is one of my favorite colors but if it did not have other non-blue colored functional pieces in it than I would not have bought it.

Are you suggesting that functional pieces are prefereable in non-blue ?

   Nathan Bell

Thanks for your comments, Steve



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: I feel Blue but aesthetics is gray.
 
(...) Ummm, I don't think I own any grey or bley axle pins with friction. If LEGO ever made any, they're certainly pretty rare. Blue has always been the standard colour for the friction version in everything except Bionicle, it's only the (...) (18 years ago, 21-Jul-06, to lugnet.technic, FTX)
  Re: I feel Blue but aesthetics is gray.
 
(...) I meant that with Technic; there will always be holes and gaps in the bodies of cars or the frames of machinery. For a "model builder" that is serious about exact aesthetic details, Model team is more ideal. Dennis Bossman does not like (...) (18 years ago, 22-Jul-06, to lugnet.technic, FTX)

Message is in Reply To:
  I feel Blue but aesthetics is gray.
 
(...) I am a strong believer in "form follows function." The reason for this is that function can be evaluated based on absolute criteria- physics, ergonomics, ect. Aesthetics is not evaluated on absolute criterian other than beauty is in the eye of (...) (18 years ago, 20-Jul-06, to lugnet.technic, FTX)

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