Latte In A Cup Please

Could I have a latte please? But I want it in a cup.

This was somewhat both funny and slightly pedantic when we first heard Chris going on about it in Auckland last September. But how true this sentiment is, and I’ve also asked myself this before. Why would someone serve a hot drink in a glass with no handle? How would anyone be able to hold the receptacle comfortably without burning their hand? And by the time the glass is cool enough to handle, one is left drinking a lukewarm coffee.

Now this is what happens when form does not follow function. It is a basic design tenet that form should follow function. But this is just one example of blindly following design/style without actually caring about whether the design works for the user, just because it looks good and that IS really what matters. Or is it? As an appreciator of good design, I feel that if the function is completed defeated (as opposed to just merely slightly compromised - maybe that may be arguably forgivable), then the result of that design cannot be considered a success.