FORM- Surface is the New Substance

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About FORM- Surface is the New Substance

FORM- Surface is the New Substance is a summer 2009 course at CCA by Peter Stathis and Philip Wood with tecnical support from Nicholas Riddle

Project Overview
In this project, we will shift our focus from object-centered thinking to a narrative-centered approach. That is, we will define product programs through stories that result in products. The subject of these stories will focus on a variety of worldviews that should influence 21st century design. This approach, not entirely new, acknowledges that much of the criteria developed here has been from an important publication titled: What if We Put the Clocks Back to Zero? Hypotheses for Probable Futures.

Surface has become as synonymous with substance, and life and style are seen as inextricably linked. We hope to define through rigorous examination just what kind of ‘life’ this ‘style’ offers, and investigate alternative methods and design criteria for (in)forming the product world that we define ourselves through.

A critical distinction in this design process is we ask you to think up the object according to its image, not it’s function. This approach is brought about by user needs having been traditionally defined as an object’s utility and functional performance. We will argue that a more contemporary and inclusive definition of “user needs” is needed for our image-saturated and postmodern context; one that acknowledges that products address our social needs as well, and ultimately, to be truly valued, act as repositories of personal meaning at the individual level.