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October 01, 2007
Maeda on perceived and actual qualities
After hearing Maeda admit that he didn't quite understand himself at the time he wrote the book, I read the chapter as something that he was still working through.
Still, I haven't read much about design and thought it interesting, particularly where Maeda talks about the perception of quality: "the way something we own feels can change how we feel." He offers a Bang & Olufsen remote control as an example of a design that mixes actual and perceived qualities. The remote is thin, slender, made with fine materials, but heavier than it looks, so as to communicate high quality. This made me think that I always pay attention to a product's weight. This is especially the case when it's part of function, as with cookware. If a pot or pan looks good, is made out of quality materials, and conducts heat, I expect it to be sturdy. If it's marketed as being light, I expect it to be relatively or comparatively light, that is, heavier than it looks, and lighter than the cookware to which it compares in quality--because I don't want it toppling over when I'm cooking.
Posted by Dominique at October 1, 2007 11:46 PM