AxisGroup International Inc.

Need and Want

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Sensory 'Feel'



Chairs identified as possibilities will be felt, patted, thumped
or rotated. A small chair will be picked up by its back &endash;
'hefted.' Drawers on desks will be opened, buttons pushed
and finishes stroked. On a car, the tyres are kicked for no
particular reason.

Subjective 'feel' assessment is made by running the hand over
surface textures; and testing the resistance or 'give' of
padding or control switches, the weight of an item or its parts,
the range and speed of moving parts, and the sounds of
rolling bearings or scraping feet. The scent of leather upholstery
or of a new book is savoured.

Criteria for assessing 'feel' are highly personal, and often
culturally related. In Canada, a damp floor in a restaurant
'feels' dirty because it suggests slush melting off winter boots,
but in dry Turkey, restaurant floors are deliberately sprinkled
with water to make them 'feel' clean and freshly washed,
and to freshen the air.

 

© 1993- 1995 Alexander Manu ©1995 Danish Design Centre "ToolToys - Tools with an Element of Play "
The author grants permission to make a digital or hard copy of part or all of this work for personal use provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit. The copyright notice and the title of the publication must appear on all printed copies.