Affordances in Design (Iteration 01)

The following are some of the observations I made regarding affordances. I based them on discussions, observations, and literature reviews, such as Don Norman's Design of Everyday Things.

Affordances are properties of objects that suggest or invite specific actions or behaviours. In furniture design(which I am interested in), affordances refer to how a piece of furniture can be used or interacted with by a person.

For a simple example, a chair with a backrest and armrests might afford sitting, while a table with a smooth surface and sturdy legs might afford writing or to place objects on top of it. A bed with a headboard and footboard might afford to sleep, while a couch with a low back and soft cushions might afford to lounge or relax.

Designers can use affordances to communicate the intended use of a piece of furniture to the user and to encourage certain behaviours or activities. For example, a chair with a high back and armrests afford an upright seating posture, while a couch with a low back and soft cushions encourage a person to relax or recline. Nivsarkar sir, in one of his chair armrests, had incorporated a concave edge, which subtly hinted at the hand's curvature. Understanding affordances enables designers to create functional and comfortable designs that are easy for users to understand and use.

Don Norman explored another concept called signifiers. Whereas affordances determine possible actions, Signifiers communicate where the action should occur. We need both, as explained by Norman. He explains that affordances refer to possible potential actions, but these are easily discoverable only if they are perceivable: perceived affordances. The signifier component of perceived affordance allows people to determine the possible steps. So both usually go hand in hand: affordances aid understanding, and signifiers aid discovery. The combined information gleaned through both is the system image. So now my confusion starts creeping in: from what I gathered in the first class, we were to actively avoid giving strong signifiers in our explorations, as the presence of these would likely restrict the user from exploring the object further. The aim was to incorporate affordances to allow users to explore multiple uses of interacting with the product. But I still need to succeed in designing furniture combining affordances. I am still too stuck with the signifier style thinking- "ki chalo isme baithna bhi hai, aur stool bhi banana hai", rather than "what's the most basic requirement, and what are the different forms to achieve that?" There's something still missing; I don't know. 

As a side project, I started breaking down affordances at various levels of abstraction: at the detail, component, sub-massing, massing and array levels. I noticed that particular affordances were more applicable to certain levels than others. For example, 'raised plinth level in sites' can afford to sit, as seen in the Eames plaza. A cutout in a face affords to carry the object, as seen on stool faces. Affordances are a way of looking at form from a first-principles perspective. Earlier, I looked at a piece of furniture and classified it as a chair, stool, etc.; I now ask what interactions it affords apart from those signified.

Coming to how the designer can strategically use this idea to design the development of need-based ideas for a spatial context:

Affordances (especially at massing and array levels) can be an excellent way to explore multi-functionality in furniture. An ingenious use of affordances can eliminate the need to use expensive, complicated joinery and still offer multiple ways to interact with the table. As space in cities gets reduced, multipurpose furniture which can afford varied functions will become more critical.

Another way to use affordances in spatial contexts is through the design of the physical environment. For example, a designer might consider the layout and arrangement of furniture and other objects in a room to create specific affordances for certain activities. For example, a room with a large, open floor plan and plenty of comfortable seating afford socializing and relaxation. In contrast, a room with smaller tables and chairs arranged in rows might afford a more focused, individualized activity such as studying.

Overall, the strategic use of affordances in spatial contexts can help create functional, efficient, and enjoyable environments that meet the needs and preferences of those who use them.