Beauty will always decide the future | Garry Cohn | TEDxDublin Salon

Quick Overview

Garry Cohn argues that beauty, defined as the quality that gives pleasure to the senses or the mind, is essential for human survival and will ultimately decide the future, contrasting it with purely functional or status-driven design.

Key Points: Beauty is essential for human life, and its survival depends on it, asserting that beauty will always decide the future. Cohn cites a 1984 study by Roger Ulrich finding that hospital patients with views of nature healed faster and required less medication than those facing a brick wall. The conflict in design lies between function (fulfilling a purpose) and true design (making one feel alive), which beauty addresses. The ACE framework is introduced: Attention (noticing what you normally ignore), Care (selecting soft, welcoming, or natural objects), and Expression (using objects/colors that reflect your story and make you happy). Cohn emphasizes that good design, which incorporates beauty, is a human right, contrasting it with sterile, functional environments like cookie-cutter housing or hospital rooms. He recounts a personal story about his father, who, despite being surrounded by sterile hospital materials, created connection and dignity through simple acts like removing his gloves and holding his wife's hand.

Context: Garry Cohn delivers a TEDx talk at the Dublin Salon arguing for the critical role of beauty in human survival and future decision-making, moving beyond mere functionality or status. He uses personal anecdotes, including a moving story about his father in a hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, to illustrate that beauty—which elicits pleasure in the senses or mind—is a fundamental human need that designers must prioritize.

Detailed Analysis

Garry Cohn advocates that beauty is fundamental to human life and will dictate the future, contrasting it with purely functional or status-driven design. He begins by sharing a pivotal story from 2021 when his father was hospitalized with COVID-19, noting that his father's calm demeanor and the act of holding his mother's hand provided dignity amidst the sterile environment, highlighting beauty's role in human connection even in dire circumstances. Cohn then expands on the necessity of beauty, citing Roger Ulrich's 1984 study showing hospital patients with nature views healed faster and used less medication than those facing brick walls. He posits a conflict between function (just fulfilling a purpose) and true design (making one feel alive). Cohn proposes the ACE framework for incorporating beauty: A - Attention (noticing things you didn't before, like the colors and textures in a room), C - Care (selecting soft, welcoming, or natural materials, like velvet or stone), and E - Expression (using objects and colors that tell your personal story and make you happy). He warns against environments that are too functional, citing sterile hospitals and cookie-cutter housing, and notes that even AI designs for functionality can strip away human connection. Cohn concludes by reaffirming that beauty is a human right and that by practicing ACE, designers can ensure beauty is integrated into all aspects of life, connecting us and making us feel alive.