ABSTRACT
Furnishings
are more than rational, pragmatic market artifacts. Like art, furniture can be
conceived and created to intrigue and inspire the viewer. Repetetive physical interactions lead people to subconscious, automatized behavior, which result in the underappreciation of furniture. This physical
but non-intimate relationship with objects is underdeveloped due to the lack of
stimulation felt by our daily interactions with them. It is up to designers to
create with intention to break with user’s subconscious, automatized habits to form
spaces with unique and distinctive aspects.
Furnishings
are more than rational, pragmatic market artifacts. Like art, furniture can be
conceived and created to intrigue and inspire the viewer. Repetetive physical interactions lead people to subconscious, automatized behavior, which result in the underappreciation of furniture. This physical
but non-intimate relationship with objects is underdeveloped due to the lack of
stimulation felt by our daily interactions with them. It is up to designers to
create with intention to break with user’s subconscious, automatized habits to form
spaces with unique and distinctive aspects.
Influenced by the concepts of defamiliarization and Einfühlung, this thesis intended to create an experience that was physical, cognitive, and emotional (I refer to this as “tri-interactive”)
to create a stronger interaction between the viewer and the objects. Case
studies from artists, practitioners, and luminaries such as Olafur Eliasson,
Grant Achatz, Viktor Shklovsky and Robert Vischer influence the methodology
that motivates this approach to advance the experience and perception of
furniture.
