The Social Object
Apprehending Materiality for Industrial Design Practice
9781835950616
Distributed for Intellect Ltd
The Social Object
Apprehending Materiality for Industrial Design Practice
A study of objects and domestic spaces of middle-class India.
Drawing on the methods of design history, material culture studies, and the social construction of technology, this book analyzes the domestic spaces and objects in the homes of the middle class in India, describing how people make meaning of the objects they buy, own, and gift.
Soumitri Varadarajan argues against a simplistic universal account of the way we think about how objects are designed. Instead, he presents a biography of projects and objects, offering a detailed and affectionate account of the lives of objects within the homes of the not-so-rich.
Drawing on the methods of design history, material culture studies, and the social construction of technology, this book analyzes the domestic spaces and objects in the homes of the middle class in India, describing how people make meaning of the objects they buy, own, and gift.
Soumitri Varadarajan argues against a simplistic universal account of the way we think about how objects are designed. Instead, he presents a biography of projects and objects, offering a detailed and affectionate account of the lives of objects within the homes of the not-so-rich.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Waste-work
Chapter 2: The place
Chapter 3: The right way
Chapter 4: The object journey
Chapter 5: Sites for objects
Chapter 6: Designed objects
Conclusion
Bibliography
Be the first to know
Get the latest updates on new releases, special offers, and media highlights when you subscribe to our email lists!