Synthesis: Enduring Object Relationships - Preventing Habituation through Dynamic Interaction

Humans adapt expertly — and soon become accustomed to the environments and things that surround us. Objects that at one time were novel transition to mundane. Habituation is this diminishing pleasure obtained upon successive occasions of having a particular experience. There are only two mechanisms to counteract habituation - variety of experiences and time between an experience.

I am investigating ways in which a single dynamic object can create variety and prevent habituation, including: unexpectedness, responsiveness, captivation, and wear.

Synthesis: Designing for Endurance

After realizing in class today that most of the ideas I've written about so far are very interconnected, I need to try to define, and continue to refine, my project concept:

I intend to investigate the cycle of human-object relationships to enhance, extend, and enrich the experience. A designer can strengthen this relationship through need, attachment, meaningfulness, identification, reliability, usefulness, appreciation, excitement, beauty, unexpectedness, and change.

What is designing for endurance, or anti-obsolescence design? Through material and design choices can we not only design for long life, but also easily reuse (and not downcycle) the object's material should its usefulness expire? Our current economic model relies on planned obsolescence. What kind of business model does anti-obsolescence create? Tony Fry's Redirective Design Manifesto lists several methods for designing for sustainment: eliminating, combining, dematerializing, revitalizing, sharing, and creating smarter longer lasting things. But all of these mean less stuff. We know making less is good for the earth, but how is selling less good for business?