Just a comment - Coke contains quite a lot of caffeine which is pretty
addicitve so a need could in my opinion be said to be created ;-)

Best wishes!
/Charlotte Magnusson
http:www.certec.lth.se

-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2001 4:59 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Social aspects on design


To Alison, Rob and All,

Alison asked: Does the designer identify a consumer's need and wants and
then make an
artifact or does the artifact create the need and desire in the consumer?

Rob answered: I think that both these processes are happening
simultaneously but in the
West we are moving away from artifacts fulfilling a need towards artifacts
creating the need or the
need being created by advertising.

I don't believe that anybody can create needs in any person. It is quite
funny actually. You cannot desire, prefer or demand what you don't know of
even if it exists, nor that which you have not yet imagined, and you
certainly cannot buy what is not affordable and available. But your needs
are felt again and again regardless of known and imagined artifacts and
persuasive communication like advertising, until satisfaction is obtained.

The essence of the above is: Do we have needs, or do we have a need for X?
I believe we have needs, but those needs are not created by anybody - they
are a part of me from birth. These needs can and must be satisfied by any
of a number of means, some that are man-made (artifacts, designs), and some
that are provided by nature. I have a need to quench my thirst, and I
become aware of my thirst as soon as my body tells me strongly enough that
I am in liquid imballance (internally induced arousal of needs). I can
drink the natural product water, but I can also drink Coke, which is
definitely an artifact. The Coca-Cola Company did not invent thirst, but
they certainly use thirst to sell their coke, and they can make me more
aware of my thirst through advertising (referred to as external stimuli
arousal of needs). I need to drink, but not a coke, but I can certainly
desire, prefer, demand, and buy a coke to satisfy my thirst - AND a number
of other real or imagined needs, desires and purposes like staying healthy
(survival need), be a member of the young generation (social need), etc.

Another example: We do regularly get the urge to pee. Have you ever tried
to teach a student who has a full bladder? Have you ever been able to
permanently take away from anybody the need to pee? I believe everybody
were born with the need to pee, but I can arouse the need in others by
pushing the right spot on their body, peeing myself, talk about the need
for peeing, or have the other person drink, or any suitable combinations of
these. I can even design a loo in which to pee, but it wouldn't be designed
if we didn't have the need for peeing - or would we?

So you say, what about the higher need? Those not connected to the bodily
functions? What about the estetical needs? Are we not born with a sense of
beauty and the ugly? Ever seen a sunset? It doesn't have to be artificial
or its existence taught for it to satisfy my estetical needs. I like the
real thing - except coke.

Brynjulf

Brynjulf Tellefsen
Associate Professor
Department of Knowledge Management
Norwegian School of Management
P. O. Box 580
N-1302 Sandvika
NORWAY

Phone direct:  +47-6755 7191
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