Designing for the future from the past : a modern demonstration of nostalgia through domestic interior product design

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Ashley R. Skinner (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Matthew Jones

Abstract: The goal of this thesis was to create a unique design process, specifically intended for the production of nostalgic domestic interior products. Nostalgia has been studied for hundreds of years and was once believed to be a disease or illness of the mind (Routledge 2015), however more recent studies show nostalgia to be a positive reaction to sentimental longing for the past (Sedikides & Wildschut 2018). Though the final interior products alone may not invoke a pure nostalgic response from its’ viewers, the ultimate goal of this thesis was to create a process in which physical elements of nostalgia could be filtered through and condensed into an equation that outputs fresh product design. This design process has been informed by the publics’ understanding of personal nostalgia within their own homes. This information was gathered through surveying, which consisted of 100 participants. These participants supplied image references of nostalgic items within their home, which I have used to assemble a list of physical properties that characterize nostalgia. Out of all the physical properties mentioned on the survey – texture, function, pattern, color, and material – function was the most popular selection when asked what characteristic gave their referenced object nostalgic value. Among analyzing each referenced object, wood was the most reoccurring material at 34% of entries. Metal was the next most common material at 21%, with plastic and glass both occurring in 10% of entries. With this information, I concluded the best material to work with for product composition was wood. Participants were also asked where their referenced object was located in the home. The living room was the most common at 37% of entries, the kitchen was runner-up at 21%, and the bedroom was the third most surveyed at 17% (see Appendix B). In totality, two objects were designed and created to demonstrate evidence of the working design process: a bar cabinet and a nightstand

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
Language: English
Date: 2022
Keywords
Design, Furniture, Nostalgia, Product
Subjects
Furniture design
Sentimentalism
Nostalgia

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