Synthetica: Synthesis on Design

The Interior Structure of the Artifact


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The source, excerpts from Elaine Scarry's work, explores the relationship between human experience, particularly pain and desire, and the creation of artifacts. Scarry argues that artifacts are projections of human sentience, materialized attempts to alleviate suffering and enhance human capabilities. The source connects Scarry's ideas to the field of design, suggesting that design is an ethical and deeply human endeavor, not just a technical process, involving the materialization of sentience and a responsibility to consider the object's impact on the user within a broader cultural context. The act of designing is seen as a cycle of projection and reciprocation, with objects both reflecting human needs and shaping human experience.

Please note that the podcast covers key points from the source with synthetic voices, which may have glitches. It’s a reflective, not comprehensive, interpretation.

Scarry, E. (1987). The body in pain: the making and unmaking of the world. University of Oxford Press.



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Synthetica: Synthesis on DesignBy Synthetic Synthesis