Applying Design Reasoning and Semantic Debate in Meaning and Identity Creation

AbstractThe process of form giving is a complex topic for product designers and is inherently connected to the field of aesthetics. Fundamental questions need answers: are there absolute aesthetic principles that, if followed, can guarantee a “good form” and a successful product? What importance should user and market response be given? This highlights the debate on the extent to which the designer is entitled to be the only judge of a product's aesthetics, as well as on how much other stakeholders (such as client companies, product users) have a say in the product's meaning creation through its form. In this article, an overview will be given on how a paradigm shift from positivist to constructivist philosophical worldviews has impacted design reasoning to form the basis for establishing form-giving principles. The purpose is to give designers a theoretical foundation on aesthetics and the creation of meaning and identity through a human-centered approach in form giving