I recently learned a valuable lesson in persuasive design from architect Frank Lloyd Wright. His mentor, architect Louis Sullivan, famously coined the phrase “form follows function.” Sullivan applied his principle to design exterior building ‘form’ to align with the ‘function’ of a building. Following Sullivan, Wright evolved this principle by applying it to the design of interior spaces.
Wright’s design uses subtle ‘form’ choices to gently persuade ‘functions’ in the form of feelings, thoughts, and actions. I recently had the opportunity to experience this gentle persuasion for myself, and it inspired me to consider how similar principles might apply to adjacent fields like UX design.
A few months ago I took a guided tour through Kentuck Knob, a Wright-designed home in Fayette County, PA. The house, built into a hill in the woods, is unmistakably impressive for its intricate stone and woodwork. Beyond initial appearances, however, I was most captivated by Wright’s persuasive design choices.
Kentuck Knob in Fayette County, PA (patio)
Unfortunately, Kentuck Knob doesn’t allow visitors to take photos inside the house. But imagine this:
When you enter through the front door, you immediately face a stone wall with no decorations. The ceilings are low, the light is dim, and the space is rather cramped (we couldn’t fit much of the tour group before spilling into the living room). At that point, I questioned Wright’s decisions: To be frank with you Frank, these seem like odd design choices.
However, I soon discovered that these choices were purposeful. Wright chose to make the entry area feel cramped and uncomfortable to encourage guests to migrate to the living room — a room that, in contrast, was bright and open with much higher ceilings. This demonstrated that, oddly enough, creating discomfort can be an effective method to shape experiences. By lowering the ceiling and creating a dead end, Wright’s entry design ‘pushed you’ to take action to relieve the tension.
Similar action-inspiring design was incorporated throughout the house — like hallways turned into intimate gallery spaces, or hexagonal floor plans (with 120-degree corners) making rooms feel warmer and more welcoming.
As a result of Wright’s subtle persuasive design choices, Kentuck Knob effectively encourages guests to follow particular pathways and interactions within the house. I imagine that Wright considered the intended flow through these pathways and interactions with the space as the ‘functions’ of the design.