I went to an amazing lecture/exhibit by one of my favorite designers, Karim Rashid at the CCAC last night. I have no humorous anecdotes about that, and can only say that it was very inspiring. Karim has an interesting philosophy when it comes to appreciation of artistic mediums of any kind (be it consumer products, furniture, sculpture, etc), where he rejects the idea that people should “like” or “dislike” something. He hates it when he hears people in museums or exhibitions, and watches people examine a piece for a few minutes, and then declare there preference. Instead, he asserts that we should make informed decisions based on our own research and intimate knowledge with the product or piece. In that case, purchases become less a measure of aesthetic preference, and more a decision based on form AND functionality.