Charles Eames

Charles Eames was born in Missouri on June 17, 1907 and came into contact with design while working at the Laclede Steel Mill. He used his drawing abilities there with the purpose to provide solutions to diverse technical problems. This experience provided him with the ability to earn a scholarship in architecture at the Washington University. Even though he did not get his degree from the institution, he came into contact with various designers there and this shaped his understanding of the industry.

There are great deals of concepts that are required to make a design distinguishable from the rest and even remarkable. Even with this, many fail to consider the details and are typically inclined to address the design as a whole when discussing it. Being able to focus on details means having a trained eye, with this being someone that people usually master after gaining a more complex understanding of the design.

While it is a paradox, being able to understand the design as a whole is only possible as a consequence of being able to understand each detail that goes into it. Charles Eames wanted people to learn that they need to concentrate on specifics when trying to address a design, taking into account how each of these respective elements plays an important role in shaping the overall product.

Eames used this quote as a tool to have people acknowledge that it is not enough to simply appreciate a design, as one also needs to understand its background. From my perspective, the quote's message can also be conveyed through this sentence: Taking a creation as a whole means getting a superficial understanding of it -- a person would actually have to consider each individual aspect of the design in order to see its meaning entirely.

By looking at several rather simplistic concepts designed by Charles Eames, one can observe what he's referring to in that quote. Something as simple as a plywood elephant, a hanger or some chairs can have an intense effect on viewers, as it invites them to analyze them deeper and to concentrate on elements coming together in creating these respective works. Although it would be hard to question the message, it would also be difficult to refrain from looking at designs as a whole.

Especially considering the superficial nature of the contemporary society, it would be safe to say that people today simply 'have no time' to.