Exphrasis: Verbalizing Unexisting Objects in the World of Design

Abstract

Ekphrasis is a well-known term alluding to the process of verbalizing a visual representation. However, as part of the design process, industrial designers conduct what we wish to call “exphrasis” – a process by which a written account (a “brief,” in designers’ “lingua”) is converted into a designed material object. We wish to introduce this concept as applied theoretical knowledge in the work of designers and visual researchers alike, claiming that it may enhance creativity stemming from a conscious process of reflection. Through a comprehensive analysis of the differences between the two terms, we will demonstrate the applicability of the term “exphrasis” as a creative and resourceful industrial tool.

Keywords:

• Ekphrasis
• visual culture
• industrial design
• design theory

Notes

1. This article is a result of Jonathan Ventura’s doctoral dissertation, which is based on research focusing on the social–cultural roles of industrial designers. His thesis is based on in-depth ethnography, which lasted approximately eighteen months. During his ethnographic work, he spent one day every week for the said duration alternating between three different industrial design studios. Furthermore, for the past two years, he has been working at various venues as an applied anthropologist, alongside industrial designers.

2. One of the most common manifestations of freedom seldom seen in the work of designers is the use of sketches. As Goldschmidt describes it: “Designers make sketches because the sketch is an extension of mental imagery, and therefore has the freedom of imagery to retrieve previously stored images and to manipulate them rapidly” (2003: 88).

3. Seely Brown was chief scientist at Xerox Corporation until April [Less space before 2002]2002 and was also director of the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center; Duguid is a professor at the School of Information Management and Systems (SIMS), University of California – Berkeley.

4. The term “visual language” (Mitchell 1994 defines it as “visible language”) became popular among art critics at the end of the eighteenth century (Reynolds 1975), reaching its peak during the twentieth century (Gombrich 1956; Goodman 1976; Pinney 2006).

5. In describing participant observations, we are referring to a process that involved watching the designers at work and asking questions. In order to investigate virtual objects, Ventura used what he describes as “The 3D Text”: a method created in order to better understand objects which have not yet been physically created, using 3D imaging software, usually SolidWorks. Just like the process used while investigating religious texts, Ventura asked the designers to talk about their CAD files and explain their decisions (shape, materials, lines, plains, aesthetics, etc.).

6. A Bluetooth headset for cellular devices designed for a major electronics corporation.

7. The company’s name has been changed, in accordance with the American Anthropological Association’s code of ethics.

8. Mitchell is Professor of English and Art History at the University of Chicago.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jonathan Ventura

Dr Jonathan Ventura is a design anthropologist, currently teaching at the Department of Inclusive Design at Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem, and at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design; he is also a research fellow at the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Royal College of Art, London. He specializes in applied anthropology, design anthropology, and social and medical design. [email protected]

Gal Ventura

Dr Gal Ventura is a Senior Lecturer in the Art History Department of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem. Recent publications include Crying over Spilt Milk (The Hebrew University Magnes Press, 2013; in Hebrew) and essays in Dress and Ideology and the Journal of Social History. [email protected]