Radical Design: Vespa

Adopting radical design | thewanderlust.net

My example about scooter shopping came up when comparing the Piaggio MP3 to the new range of Vespas (which I’ve owned in the past). At first I thought it was ugly and didn’t consider it over the classically designed Vespa but then I started to think why I’d jumped to that conclusion. Why did I think a scooter needed to resemble the original design that’s now 50 years old in order to be beautiful? This view was shared by many people I showed the MP3 too, though the MP3 is a production model, and does sell, I would be interested to see who is buying it though — and what they think of it’s appearance. Maybe it’s only sold to people who don’t care about it’s physical attributes, or maybe there are people that see past traditional design and are ready to embrace a more modern approach to an old idea? The bike has an option of a hybrid engine that’s better for the environment, it’s got 3 wheels so it’s safer and handles better, it uses an internal frame so it’s more rigid — in many ways it’s a better bike.

Another interesting thought is what sort of reception did the Vespa get when it first came on the market? It’s design was far removed from any other available bike, yet it went on to become a great success and develop a cult following. Maybe radical designs do that once they’re accepted?

This principle may work better in graphic design, not to say challenging conventions isn’t worth while. However, leveraging existing cultural visual language to ensure the right message is delivered is a valid argument. More so in interactive design, where you need to ensure an interface is useable and performs as it’s expected. Should we be so strict when we talk about product design and architecture though? Maybe I should really examine why I want a Vespa over an MP3 ..