The semantic turn: A new foundation for design
Abstract
The semantic turn: A new foundation for design The semantic turn: a new foundation for design , by Klaus Krippendorff, 2005, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, USA, pp. 304, 44.99, hardback (ISBN 0 415 32220 0) The Semantic Turn: A New Foundation for Design sets its context in product semantic history and relates the current changing environment of design and the transition to human-centred design. It outlines a direction and a discipline for the future of the design profession that encourages questioning the current status quo. It suggests a dialogue and a series of concepts that will assist designers to work alongside other disciplines. The book commences by summarising the history of semantic ideas in design, examining the challenges that professional designers face and then proposes a new philosophy for design. The Ulm School of Design is described in Chapter 9; this illustrates the roots of Krippendorff's premise and background. Personally, I found it useful to read this chapter directly after the first introductory chapter. The whole book deals with some profound issues and describes a massive conceptual shift in the area of design, arguing that design needs to focus more on the semantics and value of artifacts/products