Of subtractive creativity
In an earlier monograph, I wrote about transformation and emergence, the kind of inspiring creativity that everyone thinks leads to beautiful products.
But emergence isn’t intentional. It has a magic that is hard to understand and often replicate.
Intentional creativity and beauty however can come from removing things. But in any such intentional design process, we must begin by asking: what is our goal? What are we trying to achieve?
I have been contemplating subtractive creativity while I soak up some sunshine in the land of Tesla and self-driving cars. So naturally we are going to talk about cars! And since wall-to-wall sunshine makes me miss Britain and all things British, talking of a British car will be the perfect story to ponder.
Cars really just take us from A to B. We want them to do it fast. We want them to look pretty while doing that. And we want them to embody something magical in all that.
Colin Chapman, the founder of Lotus Cars said: “Adding power makes you faster on the straights, subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere.” There in a few words is the philosophy of design — subtractive creativity — at Lotus cars, who also power the Lotus F1 team.
Some high grade engineering and creativity goes into removing weight from a car to make it that noticeable bit faster. Some of that weight subtraction was made to serve a market for a two-seater car and some was powered by innovation in materials.
But as some of you may know, Lotus suffered financial difficulties which may raise the question I often ask about sustainable — which includes profitable — creativity.
Graham Nearn, the founder of Caterham Cars, bought the rights to Lotus Seven, which despite some regulatory challenges in the global markets, continues to be a popular — fast — car for the enthusiast. (Yes, it is not for everyone. Just like any other luxury product!)
As environmental concerns become central to how we think about the transportation problem, subtractive creativity wins again. Lotus is a lead player in thinking about the environmental impact of their cars at every component level.
Indeed Tesla, which seems now to be everyone’s dream car, collaborated with Lotus in the creation of the Roadster. The relationship didn’t work out best for various reasons and now fewer than 7% of the components are common between the Tesla Roadster and Lotus’s EV. But as discussions abound about the weight of the Tesla S, mostly due to its battery, Tesla may yet have to rethink some of its design.
It isn’t, in the end, about Lotus or Tesla but about the homage they both pay to subtractive creativity. And by extension, to sustainability — of the creativity, of the environment, and of the human being’s quest for movement, speed and beauty all at the same time.
Best stated in the words of Colin Chapman, Lotus’s founder:
“Simplify, then add lightness.”
(This post first appeared on http://shefaly-yogendra.com/blog/2015/02/23/of-subtractive-creativity/ and is being cross-posted here.)
