Readings
Why We Need Things
I really enjoyed this article because i’m interested in people’s relationships with objects. My idea for a project was to catalogue everything I own and the story behind the object. Living in NYC, I feel like most people don’t own a lot because of the small living spaces and having to move all the time. It also adds more value to what you have and why you still have it.
The studies they did seem to be a bit out dated because they are saying what women are interested in compared to men. I think now things are much different, if you ask a man and a women now what their most valuable possession is they will most likely say their cell phone or computer. These objects have become extensions of our selfs and out memories.
The idea of hoarding your item has become more prominent because of the amount of items we by, yet some people dispose of everything immediately after. I know for myself and friends we all have multiple computers because we had to purchase a new one. The old one still runs but isn’t as up to date as the new one.
Working at a popular computer store I feel like I am on the front lines of consumerism. People come in asking for a product not even caring what it is used for or what it can do just because they “hear” how popular it is and how many people have it. You see this happen with very wealthy people, they hear a new model of a computer is out so they want to buy it. What happens to their old computer? I have no idea, some lucky person is going to find it in their garbage.
Overall, this article was the most interesting to me because it’s something I have been thinking about a lot in my own life and others around me. Are we the objects we posses? Do these objects make up who we are? How does technology relate to any of this.
Ten Thousand Everyday Things
I never thought of doors as being bad design. The idea of “if it has to have a sign for instruction then it is bad design” is a completely new concept to me. With most doors though you can either push it or pull it to get the results you want. I think that may be why electric doors were invented. The problem with those doors are the sensors sometimes lag and people walk right into them. The solution has created a whole new problem.
Door knobs are an interesting everyday thing because we use them so often and there are so many different kinds. Maybe doors have bad design because of the doorknobs. In some states the rounded doorknobs have to be replaced because they are harder to the handicap to use.
Scissors are a great example of what good design is because when holding it you know what is expected. Most tools used to construction could also be see as good design, hammers, saws, screw drivers, etc. Just from holding the object you understand how it should be used.
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