Product language

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Product language is the communication between product and person in the area of product design . In this context, the term communication should be viewed metaphorically. The physical properties of a product represent the grammatical elements of the product language. The meaning of these elements represents the content. Communication takes place in the sense that physical properties such as shape, color, material of a product are linked to mental concepts in the human brain via the sensory organs.

The term became known in the early 1980s through a design theory by Jochen Gros . Previously, the expression "sensual functions" was used instead . The name was changed due to the ambiguity of the word "sensual" and the poor translation ability of the old name.

In addition to the practical functions, the product language represents a subset of the functions of a product. It divides itself into aesthetic functions and semantic or symbolic functions. The latter are further divided into sign functions and symbolic functions. The aesthetic functions include product properties such as shape and structure; they contain the grammar of the product language. Indicator functions are understood to mean all those features of a product that show the user what and how the product is to be used. Symbolic functions relate to social, cultural, historical, ecological and other backgrounds that the product is intended to convey.

literature

  • Bernhard E. Bürdek: Design: history, theory and practice of product design . Birkhäuser - Verlag für Architektur, 2005, ISBN 3-7643-7028-9 .
  • Christian Scheier, Dirk Held, Johannes Schneider, Dirk Bayas-Linke: Codes: the secret language of products . Haufe Group, 2012, ISBN 978-3-648-02957-2 .
  • Dagmar Steffen: Design as product language: The "Offenbach approach" in theory and practice. Verlag form GmbH, 2000, ISBN 3-931317-34-X .
  • Gerhard Heufler: Design Basics: from the idea to the product. Verlag Niggli AG, 2009, ISBN 978-3-7212-0517-6 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Christian Scheier, Dirk Held, Johannes Schneider, Dirk Bayas-Linke: Codes: the secret language of products . Haufe Group, 2012, ISBN 978-3-648-02957-2 , pp. 14-15.
  2. ↑ Gerhard Heufler: Design Basics: from the idea to the product . Verlag Niggli AG, 2009, ISBN 978-3-7212-0517-6 , p. 212.
  3. ↑ Bernhard E. Bürdek: Design: History, Theory and Practice of Product Design . Birkhäuser - Verlag für Architektur, 2005, ISBN 3-7643-7028-9 , p. 288
  4. ↑ Dagmar Steffen: Design as product language: The "Offenbach approach" in theory and practice. Verlag form GmbH, 2000, ISBN 3-931317-34-X , p. 22.
  5. ↑ Bernhard E. Bürdek: Design: History, Theory and Practice of Product Design . Birkhäuser - Verlag für Architektur, 2005, ISBN 3-7643-7028-9 , p. 282
  6. ↑ Dagmar Steffen, Design as Product Language: The “Offenbach Approach” in Theory and Practice. Verlag form GmbH, 2000, ISBN 3-931317-34-X , p. 34
  7. ↑ Gerhard Heufler: Design Basics: from the idea to the product. Verlag Niggli AG, 2009, ISBN 978-3-7212-0517-6 , pp. 33-35.
  8. ↑ Dagmar Steffen: Design as product language: The "Offenbach approach" in theory and practice. Verlag form GmbH, 2000, ISBN 3-931317-34-X , p. 17, p. 34, p. 62, p. 82.