Disruptive Fundamentals

Why do we surround ourselves with objects? Why do we want more of them? How do they affect us? We value objects not just for their pragmatic functions, but also for their intangible qualities – associations, memories, experiences, even a sense of security. They are the things most familiar to us and inextricably connected to our daily routine. Disruptive Fundamentals is an investigation that bridges psychology and design. It examines the relationship of the subconscious to the design of objects. In particular this research is focused on the theory of the uncanny (strangely familiar) and how it impacts function and ritual. Originating from the German unheimlich, meaning unhomely, the origins imply an inherent disruption of domestic familiarity. The language of objects that has resulted from this investigation is a consequence of designing with the psychology of the object at the forefront. The archetypes adapted are domestic and primal, and disregarding superficial values of nice and good to engage on more gestural and human levels. What is uncanny creates a searching within an individual to reconcile how and why he or she feels alienated from something familiar. Here the role of the designer is that of a bridge builder to the subconscious. Responsible for which repressions emerge to the surface of consciousness and in what manner they are confronted.