Are corners better than curves?

Author: prtheboxme | Posted: 05.04.2012

Yes! Corners are better than curves! In terms of product design and architecture that is. How many of us actually notice that our home interiors have sharp corners and not rounded ones? Most products like milk cartons, cereal boxes and a lot more products that you get on the shelves of your local supermarket will also have corners.

Why? Do you ask? This is simply because of space saving. Everybody wants to save space and make the best out of a given area. Saving on space can also save you rent; if you pile up everything from two apartments and stuff all the objects and furniture into one—that is.

In terms of product design, saved space with the help of corners can also reduce costs of transportation and storage solutions. Take for example a simple carton of milk. If the carton was made of plastic and had the cylindrical design of a bottle, there would be a lot of space wasted. Space wasted in terms of packaging, where ten bottles would fit in a ‘square container’ which would easily hold 14 cornered containers; thus holding a lot more. On a larger scale, the space wastage would reach gigantic proportions from packaging to storage facilities; to transportation costs and even shelf space in a super market. It is no wonder that most well designed products have sharper edges and smart packaging to go with them, when compared to their more ‘rounded’ counterparts.

In terms of storage space, like in a storage facility, architects and designers always avoid curves, simply because they are a waste of precious storage space. In a storage facility especially, space is money! Houses or apartments will also account for better space utilization if they have designs that utilize straight lines and corners, rather than curved walls and rounded corners. In terms of packaging; a curved or a cylindrical object would be able to bear little stress compared to rectangular box of the same proportions simply because the corners help sustain and balance the stress better—because of its corners and bends.

It is quite a surprising concept, as to why humankind actually adapted to sharper designs, rather than taking the curved approach since our bodies technically are full of them. But that is exactly where the problem begins. It is always easier to grip and hold a cylindrical bottle that to hold a well-cornered milk carton; and it is a good thing that we do not roam around drinking from them; which could have been a bit annoying to hold. This is why in terms of product design, curves and rounded objects will always have to be implemented into one; like in the case of mobile phones which are often a mix of both, so that users can hold them easily without losing grip.

So are corners better than curves? Well, both of them are equally important; depending on the application.

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