Function, Simplicity, Craft

Lessons from Danish Design

Danish design is described as a philosophy, centered around functionality, simplicity and craftsmanship. The reason Danish design continues to shine, after its breakthrough in the 1950s, is that these three key principles create a timeless structure to designs that are a success to humankind because it creates stillness within us, and performs in our everyday lives. Function, simplicity, and craftsmanship however, may have more depth and pathways than you think.

Function
After working in design and architecture studios in Copenhagen, and experiencing the process first hand, function is central to conversation and design development. Function is directly related to the user, and with careful thought, this design directive comes from our intuition. Function is the real questions like is this handle strong enough to hold the weight of the cupboard door behind it, how will the user set their cup of coffee on the armrest of this lounge chair, or does the wall return go back far enough that the door swing is exactly matched. This same instinct is drilled into Danes from an early age, in ways that go beyond furniture. It's why the biking infrastructure works, why government frameworks are built around usability, why a realistic work week is treated as a design choice rather than a luxury. It's the same question asked at a national scale as at a cupboard door: does this actually work for the person using it? Danes are practical. They ask the questions, challenge them, don't settle for less.

That same instinct, asking what a thing is actually for, is what shapes the next principle.

Simplicity
Simplicity doesn’t just mean choosing a maximum of three materials for a space or neutral tones only. In fact, more colour and pattern is making its way into Danish design recently. It means consideration, stemmed again from a human centric approach. The focus is on mood and atmosphere, where soft shapes, natural materials and genuine craftsmanship create rooms that feel cosy and inviting. Hygge, the Danish sense of comfort and homeliness, takes centre stage in the home. Take Norm Architects from their book Soft Minimalism: The Sweet Spot, finding the precise balance where nothing more can be added or taken away. They advocate using order and restraint to reduce visual clutter to foster a sense of mental freedom. There are no frills. Light and shadow shines because there is nothing outshining it. What’s happening through windows speaks to the space, because the environment is considered. There is a sense of calmness and time to relate to Danish design here, because it gives that opportunity to.

Simplicity clears the space. What fills it, and what lasts in it, comes down to craft.

Craftsmanship
Quality is built into frameworks of Danes’ recognition, and this is why Danish design shines. They are not reinventing the wheel, just fine tuning what they do well, perfecting the craft. The roots are deep in traditional cabinetmaking and materials like oak, teak, and leather, the kind of quality that makes repairing more natural than replacing. Honest, organic materials and shapes are used to create timeless designs. That’s what makes lifetime pieces such a big part of Danish homes, furniture that’s actually lived with, not stored preciously in a corner. An Arne Jacobsen chair gets reupholstered, paper cord gets restrung, long before anyone considers a replacement. Danes are prepared to invest in craft. Fast manufacturing principles are acknowledged but not compromised to their design, so good design stays affordable without becoming disposable.

Denmark has long set the tone for how aesthetics and everyday functionality are combined, and at the centre is always the same question: what does the person actually need from this? Function asks it of the object. Simplicity asks it of the room. Craftsmanship asks it of time. Different angles, same instinct.