Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 2. (a) This ice-cream container is made of glass but pretends to be edible (© 2013, photographed
by A. Ursyn. Used with permission). (b) This brush looks like a mushroom because it is designed for
cleaning mushrooms (© 2012, photographed by A. Ursyn. Used with permission)
Figure 3. “Slippery when wet” signs used in Australia, the UK, and the USA (© 2013, photographed
by A. Ursyn. Used with permission)
PRETENDERS, MISLEADERS,
INFORMERS, DOUBLE-
DUTY GADGETS, AND
MULTIFUNCTIONAL TOOLS
else, while some deceive us (Ursyn & Lohr, 2010).
Pretenders represent a special kind of design. We
may call “pretenders” those products that show
metaphorical likeness to another forms and 'pre-
tend' to be something else. Their function is hidden
and reveals quite unexpectedly, so you say, oh, it
does do something. A candle may be shaped like
a cactus, a cat, or anything else. Some pretenders
are used as props that decorate or create scenery
for a holiday event. Sometimes they are toys, for
example, a miniature kitchen appliance to be put
as magnets on a refrigerator, or a kids' cup in a
shape of an animal. Many times, ample semiotic
content is needed in product design to make it easy
Pretenders
In contrast to generally accepted philosophy of
design, everyday we encounter objects that chal-
lenge our sagacity, entertain us by mimicking other
things, mislead us about their function, or about
the material they are made of. It happens in spite
of the fact that the best design is self-explanatory.
Some of these objects pretend they are something
