Some thoughts about affordance
On 11/16/16, 9:16 PM, "Krippendorff, Klaus"
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> to me the affordance of an object is the set of interactions that something
> supports. this applies not just to designed artifacts but also to phenomena
> found in nature, even to the objects of physicists' theorizing.
I think of the concept of affordance (³the set of interactions that
something supports² K.K. above) when applied to designing as having both a
narrow and a much wider scope of meaning and application.
Limited to designed objects, the narrower perspective is to design them so
that their perceived affordance is in close enough accord with their
intended and desired use as commonly anticipated and understood by their
primary users, stakeholders, and focal group advisors. This level of mutual
accordance comes from designers striving for what I think Klaus Krippendorf
means by ³second order understanding.²
A practical, measurable and accountable affordance, however useful and
necessary, is only a small portion of the vast range and kinds of potential
human responses to things, including whether someone is afforded the
pleasure of the shiny black finish of their new iPhone 7, or if they now
perversely see the best affordance of their old 6s as a 6s window prop.
I once sat in Bernard Berenson¹s study at I Tatti and surveyed all the
extraordinary objects he had surrounded himself with that afforded that
gifted man so much personal pleasure and meaning. In the same vein, one
might also ask, what are the affordances supported by Mozart¹s Symphony No.
40 ,or Arthur Rubinstein¹s playing of the Mozart piano sonatas? Or the
Piazza Navona in Rome?
As a designer of urban open spaces and places, the affordance concept has
necessarily led me to consider ³second order understandings² with a much
looser, more socially open ended and adaptable fit, such as framework
proposals and open space latices on which people are free to, and feel
invited to, hang their own meaning.
I think of affordance as a kasina concept with much insight to contribute to
our design thinking.
Regards to all,
Jerry
--
Jerry Diethelm
Architect - Landscape Architect
Planning & Urban Design Consultant
Prof. Emeritus of Landscape Architecture
and Community Service € University of Oregon
2652 Agate St., Eugene, OR 97403
€ e-mail: [log in to unmask]
€ web: http://pages.uoregon.edu/diethelm/
€ https://oregon.academia.edu/JerryDiethelm
€ 541-686-0585 home/work 541-346-1441 UO
€ 541-206-2947 work/cell
-----------------------------------------------------------------
PhD-Design mailing list <[log in to unmask]>
Discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design
Subscribe or Unsubscribe at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/phd-design
-----------------------------------------------------------------
