Understanding the desire for meaningful design
Is it like me? Does it like me? Can it make me more? These are the questions that are at the heart of Ravi K. Sawhney's (Ph. D., President & CEO, RKS Design Inc.) theory of Psycho-aesthetics® that looks to bring deeper meaning to product design. The basic principle stems from a desire to express a product's function through its design, coupled with the need to understand how we engage stimuli. Using precedent, Sawhney takes Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and the parable of the Hero's Journey, and creates a model for design that addresses innate core desires, the goal of which is ultimately fulfillment.
Simply put, Psycho-Aesthetics is not about the best design – it’s about meaningful design. Taken a step further, it’s not about the design at all – it’s about our undeniable need for positive affirmation and how we fulfill this need.Link: RKS Psycho-Aesthetics®
Link: The Psycho-Aesthetics Martini (pdf)
