Thinking about trends

http://trendwatching.com/trends/7trends2014/

Conjunctive ambiguity - what is that?

I discovered conjunctive ambiguity while reading Paul Hekkert article Design aesthetics: principals of pleasure in design. In simple words it means double meaning. For example when a pattern is ambiguous, it allows more then one interpretation. Apparently when we see these kind of designs we experience a "wow" effect which can be repeated over and over again depending on the case.
Why? It is all connected to evolutionary psychology so we prefer environmental patterns and features that are beneficial for our development of the senses  in order to survive. Because of that we learned to enjoy discover this patterns and features.
So here are some examples of conjunctive ambiguity.

Institute du Monde Arabe by Jean Nouvel. What you see from distance is not just a beautiful pattern but also shutters that open or close depending on the sun.

"Clouds" textile tiles could leave different impression if it was just one big piece of fabric. But here a closer look makes the viewer see that its multiple pieces that can be arranged in variety of shapes and colors.

Hidden Creativity: QR Code Portrait Hides Double Meaning

http://weburbanist.com/2011/05/26/hidden-creativity-qr-code-portrait-hides-double-meaning/

I would like to use conjunctive ambiguity in my design. My idea is to make a pattern as part of the seat design but the pattern will be created out of function. Details later...

New name: Modular seating system for the living room aimed for nomadic lifestyle.

Now I know that my design will consist from multiple items that will serve as seats. I am thinking about different textiles and soft surfaces. Low seats. Maybe with possibilities for low tables. Can be assembled in a desired way according to activity and occasion. My design should speak furniture. Not seating pillows or carpets. 

Done some more reading today. Article about design for happiness. What are the ingredients of that design.

Positive Design: An Introduction to Design for Subjective Well-Being

Pieter M. A. Desmet* and Anna E. Pohlmeyer

http://www.ijdesign.org/ojs/index.php/IJDesign/article/view/1666/595

Enjoy!

Seating or sofa. How to call it? What is that?

I am thinking about softness and coziness that you can assemble with cushions and textiles. Multiple items. Passel like. I dont know if I can call it a sofa. Maybe its a seat.

First I have to create visual identity of the new nomads. What is their environment? Their activity? What kind of objects surround them? The seating have to emphasize their identity. They have to recognize themselves in the seating. This factor creates more attachment.

From there I can think about three levels of design (visceral, behavioral and reflective) and what I should include in design of each level. 

I was browsing and found some pictures of seats, sofas that I like. They inspire me with shapes, flexibility, the way that textile designed, how 2d becomes 3d and so on.

The new nomads

The new nomads are people who have no fixed home and move from place to place because of different working opportunities or to  experience other places while working remotely.  

This is how I define my users. 

Here is very interesting website for those who live or want to live like that 

http://www.nunomad.com/

Now I have to figure out what will be my inspiration. What will be the visual language in my project.

That will be my departure point. I need to create visual identity for these people. What will be the images of my inspiration board?

Meanwhile I can give examples of other nomadic aesthetic.

In this case the home full of colorful patterned textiles. Places for sitting are low and comfortable. There is a variety of different pillows that give the users freedom to arrange them as they want to. It is very different from so called modern nomadic furniture.

In my opinion this kind of furniture is for temporary traveling away from existing home. It is for travelers, not for nomads. But yet, it is easy to transport and store.
Should my design have a combination of both? We will see in the nearer future.

Motivation

I feel responsible to do more then designing from recicable materials using sustainable methods. Only that will not prevent from people get rid of their furniture quickly. Nowadays it is very easy to buy cheap furniture and while moving out after half a year through it away.

There are many foldable nomadic furniture which serve the function but they give a feeling of temporary condition. Therefore I would like to base my thesis on emotional design principals. I believe that emotional attachment and design for happiness lies in the core of sustainable product and the design of this sofa will be the result of this statement.

“Product experience is a multi-faceted phenomenon that involves manifestations such as subjective feelings, behavioral reactions, expressive reactions, and physiological reactions” Pieter Desmet and Paul Hekkert

In order to understand how to control emotional responses to a product which in this case nomadic sofa, I will use Donald A. Normans theory “Three levels of design”. This theory divides design and response to visceral, behavioral and reflective.

On the visceral level of design which is attended to the surface features I will use aesthetic principals.

“Following thinking in evolutionary psychology, it is argued that we aesthetically prefer environmental patterns and features that are beneficial for the development of the senses' functioning and our survival in general” Paul Hekkert

I believe that following these strategies will result an ultimate design which means sustainable design, design for attachment and happiness. 

Donald A. Normans' video about “Three levels of design”

Pieter Desmets' video about design for happiness

Who is the new nomad?

Here I can see for sure that it is going to be very simple. We can be anywhere we want!
http://www.doublerobotics.com/
We don't have to BE where we work. We don't have to BE where we study or maybe even party...
How this kind of freedom experience can affect design of other items? How our sofas will look like in the world of freedom?

You are welcomed to share your opinion!