Vormdeling

Vormdeling, literally "shape division," is a concept in design and architecture that describes dividing a form into modular units or components to enable fabrication, assembly and variation. By identifying repeating units, interfaces and scalable modules, vormdeling makes it possible to derive a family of products from a single design.

The term is used in Dutch design discourse and is closely related to modular design and product architecture. In practice, designers perform a modular decomposition of a form or space, creating a library of standard modules that can be recombined to form different configurations. Methods include functional decomposition (splitting by function), geometric decomposition (breaking a shape into repeatable blocks or tessellations) and parametric modeling (rules that generate variants from module parameters). Digital tools such as CAD and generative design are often used to test fit, tolerances and assembly sequences.

Applications span consumer electronics, furniture, architectural facades and digital fabrication. Benefits include reduced part variety, streamlined manufacturing, easier customization and easier maintenance. Potential drawbacks include over-engineering, more complex interfaces between modules, and risk of design rigidity if modules constrain aesthetics or user needs.

Notes: Vormdeling is more common in Dutch-language discourse; in English-language texts the concept is usually described as modular design, product architecture or modularization.

See also: Modular design, Product architecture, Design for manufacturing.