How to analyse good design, from crafts to architecture - introduction

How to analyse good design, from crafts to architecture - introduction

From Talk Architecture by Naziaty Mohd Yaacob

May 19, 2026 · 22 min · Season 20 · Episode 23

About this episode

The episode discusses how to analyze good design using Vitruvius' timeless principles of beauty, strength, and utility.

Send us Fan Mail The Timeless Principles of "Venustas, Firmitas, and Utilitas" (Vitruvius, 1st century BC) is one way to analyse any product, may it be craft or architecture, in terms of the quality and how good that design is. In the history of architectural theory, few ideas have proven as enduring as the Roman principles articulated by Vitruvius: Venustas (beauty or delight), Firmitas (firmness or structural strength), and Utilitas (utility or function, sometimes called commodity). These c...

People in this episode

Host: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob

Topics covered

  • design analysis
  • architecture
  • Vitruvian principles
  • crafts
  • quality assessment

Keywords

  • design
  • architecture
  • Vitruvius
  • Venustas
  • Firmitas
  • Utilitas
  • crafts

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Vitruvius

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