Is Design Manipulative? How Evolutionary Biology Shapes Design Trends

Design Theory November 30, 2021
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Design Theory

@design.theory

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Design Theory explores how design shapes our culture and our behaviors. Design Theory is run by John Mauriello. He is a creative director, industrial designer, and a former Adjunct Professor at California College of the Arts. He has done design work for some of the biggest brands in the world.

Video Description

One area of industrial design that’s often overlooked is the evolutionary or biological perspective. The way we perceive product design and use the tools around us is largely influenced by leftover survival mechanisms. As competition for attention becomes more and more fierce, companies are motivated to tap into our most basic primordial instincts in order to earn our business. Learn the process to create beautiful industrial design. Become an expert in design language, visual storytelling, and land your dream industrial design job. Enroll in my online industrial design course, Form Fundamentals. https://bit.ly/335vsqO . Join my mailing list to get notified of special announcements: https://www.studioello.com/mail Join my discord channel and talk to me: https://discord.gg/hFw55nh Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauriellode... Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauriello... Check out my Behance: https://www.behance.net/mauriellodesign Want to learn more about my work? Check out my portfolio: https://www.studioello.com Want to work with me on a design project? Contact me here: https://www.studioello.com/about-1 All content written and edited by John Mauriello. John Mauriello has been working professionally as an industrial designer since 2010. He is an Adjunct Professor of industrial design at California College of the Arts. 0:00-0:35 Intro 0:36-1:34 Communicating Nonverbally 1:35-3:15 Anthropomorphism 3:16-3:34 Caveats 3:35-5:54 Pareidolia 5:55-7:57 Decision Fatigue 7:58-9:35 How This Relates to Design Language 9:36-9:45 Use These Powers for Good, Not Evil! 9:46-10:15 Cultural Influence 10:16-11:36 Kiki/Bouba 11:37-12:05 Manipulation=Bad 12:06-13:30 Design Language & Visual Shorthand https://scaleofuniverse.com/powers-of-ten/ is the website I use around the 6 minute mark

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