Psychology of Objects Summer 2015

TIM STOCK SUMMER 20151

week 2

Parsons School of Design Summer Intensive Seminar

the psychology of objects


this week

retail trend analysis

our next 2 critiques:

ethnography trend analysis+

1

next week

business innovationethnography trend analysis+

2+ creative

platform


retail trend analysisethnography trend analysis+1


business innovationethnography trend analysis+2 + creative

platform


choose your project teams

teams of 2-3 people

17


desirability

♺ feasibilityviability


desirability

♺ feasibilityviability


a door is not just a door…a design solution to meet a set of specific needs.

affordances


let’s examine our classroomhow are the objects designed to afford a specific use?

affordances


…provide clues as to the operation of

things (affordances).

Functionsritual/scenarios

Usabilitymechanics

10

what is good design?works with natural human cognition and anticipates actual human scenarios and stories.


what is bad design?bad design tries to talk itself out of the problem

cognitive dissonance


Brandmeaning

Functionsritual

Usabilitymechanics

12

great design transforms diverse scenariosthe relationship between function and emotional meaning is cast in the people that use the products we design


objects tell a storycan we unpack all the decisions that were made in any given object... what problem do they answer?


great design endures over time“The best ecological strategy is to make products of a very high creative quality, so you can keep them for three generations.” Phillipe Starck


great design endures over time“The best ecological strategy is to make products of a very high creative quality, so you can keep them for three generations.” Phillipe Starck


affordances

the product as reflection of self

motive


affordances

feedback

Do the clues match I get?need

desire

crave

want

decoding consumer motivation

motive


what decisions take longer? why?

slowquick


maslow’s hierarchy of needsour needs rank up in relation to what we believe we get in return


cultural

exercise: identify the language that conveys levels of relevance

20


the design establishes your valuearticulating relevance, purpose and sustainability

VALUEPEOPLE DESIGNDIFFERENTIATIONSEGMENTS


Usabilitymechanics

it starts with making certain key features work reliabaly

what made the Blackberry valuable?


Alex Lee / OXO International

Usabilitymechanics

universal design opens up usability“helping people without letting them know they are being helped.”


Brandmeaning

Functionsritual

Usabilitymechanics

good design feeds ritual and brand


Aspirationwhat triggers emotion?

Totem

what is the power of ownership?

Ritualwhat stories will

inspire?

fashion is about casting the right balance of tangible and intangible features and building emotional meaning.

the power of ownership


the culture of readingour understanding of “reading” will evolve based on the behaviors that generate context for what reinforces cultural codes.


challenge: technology and readingdoes new technology replace books?


ShareMarketerConsumer

Relevance

building sustainable insightsthe innovators recognizes that the product continues to evolve in the hands of the consumer

DESIGN


stop thinking like a salesmaninnovation will never come from wearing down the consumer to our needs.

29


saturation

efficiencies

hyperbole

complexity

methods that unleash consumer backlash

too many line extensions

too many similar product offerings

following every trend blindly

enemies of strong brand architecturethe competitiveness brands face can distract


case: Tropicana Rebranding


PHILIPPE STARCK

human centered designbuilding stories that product “the result”


brand centric / human centric


DISCOVERYCONTROL

prisons vs. parksa mirror view of how affordances and feedback play out in designing features.


central park is an illusion of engineeringabove ground it is a designed landscape that copies nature so closely that it disguises its own fabrication, and below ground, it is an efficient technological system,"


encourage serendipity

design is hidden

appear natural

parks encourage discovery


"sentiment of an invisible omniscience."

the panopticon…a type of prison building to allow an observer to observe (-opticon) all (pan-) prisoners without the prisoners being able to tell whether they are being watched.


nothing is hidden

limited mechanics

monitored usage

38

prisons design extreme controla system designed to remove any other possible path of use or experience.


a hint of the prison in the parkpeople like to sit... but don’t get too comfortable.

DISCOVERYCONTROL


discovery (“I’ve got a better idea”)

orientation control to restrict usecontrolling the mechanics challenges human reflexes


RADIUS ergonomic toothbrush

orientation control in product designcontrolling how we postion the brush


HelveticaA Documentary Film


typography orients us


the evolution logowhy so many brands choose Helvetica?



typography as weapon of control“the way something is dressed will define how you will react to it”


evolving the brandstrategy requires consistency and creative evolution


controlling access to certain features to focus the experience/use.

physical control shapes a particular experience


controlling access to certain features to focus the experience/use.

physical control directs physical narrative


museums control physical narrativemuseums curate shows to tell a compelling story


IKEA frames how the story is consumedIKEA organizes their stores much like a curated exhibition


IKEA hackswhen the product experience becomes too directed


Just for Kicks

sneaker culture was born from our instinctive nature to edit and reshape things


packaging hacksAltoids tins incite a maker subculture


packaging hacks QueInteresante labels crayon colors with the names of the chemical compounds that produce them


Coke/Mentos as brand hacka brand wakes up to brand discovery as part of the core architecture


physical control can broaden usagejitterbug phones reverse design features to match landline phone devices.


physical control can remove complexitycontrol can help rewire behavior and engage consumers by leading and focusing the experience

56


control of design can draw us into new expectations of how things should work.

physical control can increase emotional involvement

57


structural control attempts to remove threats taking away the object altogether...


physical control and economicstv networks and advertisers remove the “skip” button.


structural control incites disruptionhumans seek to free things...and get them for free.


freedom beats controlhow does Netflix change the design framework for TV?


the future of television kills the pilotKevin Spacey urges TV to give control to viewers

control discoveryVS


how can we help nurture more breakout creative ideas?rethinking the writers room

control discoveryVS


can control of currency stem from individual over institutions?rethinking currency

control discoveryVS


when control returns to individuals the context is even more criticalthe cognitive framework for currency

control discoveryVS


awareness of when not to overdress the tasks people need to solve.

design leadership can be about what you don’t do structural control as brand focus


Louis Vuitton pulls back on brand expansion to curb dilution in China

structural control to protect dilution

67


what the brand wants

DISCOVERYCONTROLwhat the

consumer wants

68

strong brand architecture rests on understanding the right balance


INNOVATION

from signal to story... synchronizing brands for purpose and sustainability

69

BRAND ARCHITECTURE

storiessignals

innovation is a mating game


meet back here at 1pm