Part I
1. What does this object mean to you?
A couple years ago, I remember reading something about the evolutionary psychology of some of the foods we eat. Apparently, blue things in nature are usually poisonous, so humans have evolved to avoid eating things that are blue. Despite it being a common favorite color, it’s one of these least appetizing. Since then, I’ve always loved blueberries. They have 100,000 years of evolution working against them, yet they’re so delicious. I like to think that they became so tasty because of their unfortnate hue. Blueberries are berries with gumption.
Part III
1. What if we looked at all objects,people,thoughts, and things in the world this way?
If we did this all of the time, and with every object around us, it’d be hard to function. I think we abstract a lot of this away as a defense mechanism against the huge amount of information thrown at us all of the time. Unfortunately, this same mechanism of abstraction can lead to over simplification at best and something akin to stereotyping at worst. Instead, I think applying this type of thinking sparingly and mindfully to objects around us can yield great results. Thinking deeply about the objects around us is hugely beneficial, and can force our minds to come up with new associations.
2. When would we need to look at the world this way?
I’m sure there are many instances when this could be advantageous, but during a design process seems appropriate. When designing a product for many people, it could be important to see all possible associations certain attributes have toward it. Furthermore, it forces you to think deeply and be intentional with design choices.
3. Has the meaning of this object changed?
Yeah. It’s sort of like when you say a word a bunch of times and it ceases to mean anything to you. At one point, the concept of a “blueberry” didn’t make any sense to me. Instead of creating new associations, I ended up erasing old ones that I once had.