[IxDA Discuss] "non-object"

[Chris Hunter]

On Apr 10, 2007, at 8:16 AM, David Malouf wrote:

> http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/04/an_interview_wi.html
>
> In today's wired.com the above article is published which is an
> interview with Industrial Designer, Branko Lukic who is heading a new
> design studio called Non-Object (www.nonobject.com).
>
> It talks about the "space" between you and the product. I'm reading
> this and I have to say, isn't it just "experience design"?
>
> Am I missing something? Is ID that far behind UX that it feels it
> needs to create ED from scratch and give it a much cooler name? It
> talks about "experiences" in the same way the ED movement (lack of a
> better word) does.

I was left feeling like the book is a response to a strawman. I don't  
believe anybody familiar with the history of industrial design could  
characterize it as only being about the design of objects. There has  
always been a strong component of design for the user and user's  
experience using the object.

And I suspect that some of the lack of a need to name and discuss  
"experience design" in design fields other than web design (e.g.  
industrial design, graphic design, fashion design, architecture) is  
that it's assumed that the designer would factor the whole experience  
in. That it would be negligent as, say a fashion designer, not to  
consider how a garment would be purchased, worn, accessorized, etc...  
in addition to the physical design (and manufacturing, etc...).  
Again, I think it's only the relative youth of the web design  
community that has neglected many of these factors.

I do find myself in agreement with many other respondents that the  
popular design press tends to neglect experience concerns for  
splashy, graphic products. But I find this nearly as prevalent in  
writing about web applications and software from the mainstream press  
as well. It's really only smaller communities, presses, etc... that  
have ever favored deeper consideration of these factors.


Chris Hunter
chunter at wondertwinpowers.net