defining 'Architecture'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_design

Industrial design is the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production. The role of an industrial designer is to create and execute design solutions for problems of form, usability, physical ergonomics, marketing, brand development, and sales.^[

The International Ergonomics Association has adopted this technical definition: ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.

That is not the most efficient definition of what ergonomics is. Let us keep things simple. Ergonomics is the science of making things comfy. It also makes things efficient. And when you think about it, comfy just another way of making things efficient. However for simplicity, ergonomics makes things comfortable and efficient.

(source: http://ergonomics.about.com/od/ergonomicbasics/a/ergo101.htm )

 

…kinda sounds like architecture, wouldn’t you say?

(to paraphrase)

Architecture combines applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability human-centered uses of a product built work (city, building, landscape), but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production. The role of an architect is to create and execute design solutions for problems of form, usability, physical ergonomics (and, if the shoe fits, marketing, brand development, and sales).

So, one may infer:  If it is useful and comfy (it fits in its context – social, economic, physcial, cultural -- and the users use it day in and out and find new uses for it), then it is good…

firmitatis utilitatis venustatis