Losing Touch, Getting Tactile
Design today is at a crossroads. Which path will it take?
Mangas Rug. Patricia Urquiola, designed 2009. Wool. Made in India by Gan, Ontinyet, Spain. Lent by Gandia Blasco USA.
Design today is at a crossroads. We are now experiencing a hybrid of digital and analog life that on one hand drives progress, but conversely creates a desire for more honest and slow living. While many are pushing the boundaries of design with new frontiers of technology, the hand is coming back into the process. Anything made by hand is desirable, especially where the making process has been expressed; the more authentic and imperfect, the better. And as we become more immersed in the digital era, the role of materials and tactility is taking on greater importance than ever before. Touch is one of our primary senses that lets us understand the world. However, now that we all communicate through glass screens on our devices, we are losing our sense of humanity and thus craving creature comforts. As such, materials are becoming a crucial interface to the human body and how we experience the built environment. With 24/7 streaming commonplace, and our attention spans shrinking from distraction, physical space needs to up its game. We must integrate interactive spaces that compete with digital life, and yet provide a sense of comfort and the notion of home, and remind us that we are still human. We need spaces and materials that delight and engage the senses, utilizing extreme texture, deep surface relief, and high touch. Sleek and minimal spaces that were the norm will now be replaced with elements that speak to sight, touch, sound, and smell – and most importantly, emotion. People want to connect to where they are, or we will lose them to the internet.
This article first appeared in the 2017 Collab Journal.
