Nonobject

by Branko Lukic, Bill Moggridge (Foreword), Barry M. Katz (Collaborator)

The "objective" world is one of facts, data, and actuality. The world of the "nonobject" is about perception, experience, and possibility. In this highly original and visually extravant book, Branko Lukic (an award-winning designer) and Barry Katz (an authority on the history and philosophy of design) imagine what would happen if design started not from the object but from the space between people and the objects they use. The "nonobject," they explain, is the designer's personal experiment to explore our relation to the observable world. So they show us an umbrella that puts us in a harmonious relationship with nature by sending falling rain rushing through the handle from an upturned top that resembles a flower; a spoon with a myriad of tiny bowls that allow us to savor our soup; a "superpractical" cell phone with keypad, speaker, and microphone on every surface. They imagine the ideal material, "Thinium," incredibly thin and incredibly strong, environmentally and aesthetically beneficial. They show us clocks and watches that free us from time told by artificial demarcation and consider the possibility of a digital camera that captures the part of the scene we didn't see. In NONOBJECT , product design meets philosophy, poetry, and the theater of the imagination. The nonobject fills us with surprise and delight.

Genres: Design

178 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Lee-Arng · Rating 2 out of 5]

- Interesting philosophy on product design.
- It's pretty much a bunch of projects and ideas to make you think a bit more abstractly about objects and the space between the users and these objects.
- Nice photos and quotables from designers and non-designers.
- Not really something that's particularly rereadable imo.

[Nebojsa Radovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's interesting too read how world class designers think and decompose the existing products to move the experience forward. Branko's work might seem a bit abstract, but the thought process is always brilliant and leaves you in awe. I enjoyed reading the book, but would agree with some of the other reviewers that it's not something you would read more than once.

[Micah Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is design? This book forces you to think about objects in ways you probably haven’t before.
Another book in a similar vein, though more pedestrian/humorous, is What The World Needs Now by Stephen M. Johnson ISBN:1580083099.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

cool