Halloween, Tradition, and Design

Halloween, Tradition, and Design

Andrew Cousins
Pop Culture

Spooky greetings to all you readers of the Design Review! Happy Halloween! Variations of Halloween can be found in many countries [1], however, many of the traditions stem from the same place. The earliest form of Halloween originates in the Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated around the end of October or the end of the summer season. This was a celebration of the new year, the beginning of the harvest, and also considered a time when the spirits of the dead could more easily enter the living world and cause mischief [2]. Eventually, after the holiday came to America, the traditions were modernized into the spooky season that Americans now enjoy. However, it would still be good to know where those traditions came from.

Four common Jack O’Lantern designs lit up by candles. From: History of Jack-O'-Lanterns | Merriam-Webster

One recognizable tradition, the carving of Jack O’Lanterns, comes from the Irish legend of Stingy Jack. He was a mischievous man and because of his deeds, was not accepted into Heaven, nor was he accepted into Hell. Because of this, he was doomed to wander the earth as a ghostly figure. The citizens of Ireland began carving faces into turnips and beets and leaving them on their doorsteps to keep Jack from haunting them. Once this tradition came to America, pumpkins were found to be a perfect vessel for these warding lanterns [3]. Another tradition, trick or treating, evolved from various traditions of leaving food on doorsteps, visiting homes for food in exchange for prayers and songs, and costume competitions with sweet prizes [4]. Those costumes also came from ancient traditions. Initially utilized as another ward against evil spirits, ancient Celts would don scary costumes to confuse the spirits as to who was hauntable [2].

Enjoying this article? Check out our HALLOWEEN ARTICLE from last year

So What?

You probably came to the Design Review to learn about design. How then does Halloween connect to design? We could talk about the design of costumes, candy wrappers, or the evolution of trick-or-treating vessels. However, let’s turn our attention to the intersection of tradition and design. As tradition has affected the celebration of Halloween, so too has tradition affected design practices. In my role as a designer and production manager at a small electronics and plastics engineering firm, I am involved with many product design decisions. I have seen firsthand how clients react to their ordered products being changed. With some changes, people were frustrated that the product they had to which they had grown accustomed was changed. With others, people saw the benefit and were happy to adapt to the changes. Consequently, I have thought a lot about the intersection of design and tradition.  In doing this, I postulated two questions. How does tradition influence design? Why should tradition be a design consideration? 

How does tradition influence design?

Just as tradition connects modern festivities to ancient festivals, engineering and design tradition connects current and past consumers, provides continuity for consumers’ expectations, and ensures reliable performance. If a product has been produced successfully for years, continuing with tradition and using the same processes will also result in good products. This gives consumers peace of mind in knowing that they own a quality product. Tradition also brings the ability to create a brand. Think of any major consumer brand – Nike, Wal-Mart, Subway, even the Design Review. Each of these entities has some kind of symbol or integrated design in all of their products to ensure that consumers know who provided that particular good or service. In the same way that Halloween celebrators know that a tall, black, triangle hat belongs to a witch, each of these brands has a specific design pattern, or tradition, that they weave throughout their product lines. Tradition influences design by bringing in common themes throughout a brand. 

A classic Halloween witch flying on a broomstick. From: What Is Halloween? Origins, Meaning, and Traditions | Country Living

Unfortunately, tradition is a double-edged sword. While it does bring consistency and branding to a product, it can also blind engineers and their managers to innovative opportunities. If a product has been made a certain way for decades, it can be easy to justify the superfluity of innovation. But then, one day, a fresh pair of eyes could see that same product and justify a new way to improve the product. Because of decades of experience, some people might brush off that suggestion as presumptuous. Anyone involved in design should be careful to balance the need for continuity and the possibility of innovation. While we love the tradition of trick or treating, think of how much more meaningful it would be if it was tied to gathering food for a community food drive or some other innovation.

Enjoying this article? Check out another design analogy article

Why should tradition be a design consideration?

The book, Engineering a Better Future, states that “[a] large part of engineering is, and always has been, a craft based on imagination and ingenuity combined with day-to-day incremental learning from practical, shared, inherited, and emulated social experience [5].” In its simplest terms, tradition is a long-standing custom, practice, or belief that is passed from generation to generation. Traditions in engineering are just that: long-standing practices that are learned from social experience. Converse to the blinding effect that I mentioned in the last paragraph, these social experiences do lead to innovation, which then becomes a tradition. Car doors used to open the same way that air flows around the car. Social experience created the tradition that car doors open opposite the flow of air around a car, resulting in significantly fewer door-related incidents. In regards to Halloween, this night became a night of mischief for many groups, particularly the youth. One woman, Elizabeth Krebs, was sick of this social experience and organized a party for the youths, with the hope of directing their energy to festivities rather than mischief. She included a costume contest, music, and food and successfully created a solution that kept her garden safe during the spooky season [6]. In each of the questions we have considered, utilizing design tradition affects the consumer. All designers should consider tradition in any product in which they are involved. As we have discussed, tradition ensures continuity, enables branding, and stems from social experience. Because of this, tradition might be one of the most important considerations.

Whether we celebrate a holiday or design the next big thing, tradition is an integral part of each of our lives. As you go about this spooky season (whether you are celebrating with candy or remembering those who have passed on), look around at the traditions that affect your life. What traditions provide continuity and quality? What traditions may limit innovation? How would you alter them? I hope that in reading this article, we can bring a more introspective spirit to our design process.

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