Ever since the Industrial Revolution integrated functionality with design and production, the world has changed at an incredibly fast pace. Products that were once expensive, time-consuming, and cumbersome to create have become efficiently and cheaply mass-produced, making them more popular and widely distributed.

But just how far does machine design take away from aesthetics? In many cheaply made, mass-produced products, beauty and durability are sacrificed for cost. Yet aesthetics are often the focal point of engineering anything, so exactly how important is it to preserve aesthetics when designing machines?

What is the Difference Between Functionality and Aesthetics?

The word “aesthetics” comes from the ancient Greek word aisthetikos, which loosely means “to perceive.”…