Since the introduction of the personal computer in the early 1980s, many objects have been designed to have capabilities well beyond their immediate use or appearance. Whether openly and actively or in subtle, subliminal ways, these objects talk to us, and we have come to expect interaction with them. Contemporary designers, besides giving objects form and function, write their initial scripts--the foundation for useful and satisfying conversations. Talk to Me focuses on projects that involve such direct interaction--including interfaces, websites, video games, devices and tools, and information systems--as well as installations that establish practical, emotional, or even sensual connections to cities, companies, governmental institutions, or other individuals. The featured objects range in date from the late 1980s to today, with particular attention given to the last five years and projects currently in development. Organized thematically, Talk to Me introduces design practices that are increasingly crucial to our world and demonstrates how rich and deep the influence of design will be on our future.

Talk to Me: Design and the Communication between People and Objects

Arts & Photography

Antonelli, Paola

Hunt, Jamer

Midal, Alexandra

Slavin, Kevin

Vinh, Khoi

Decorative Arts & Design

The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Where do design principles come from? Are they abstract "rules" established by professionals or do they have roots in human experience? And if we encounter these visual phenomena in our everyday lives, how do designers use them to attract our attention, orient our behavior, and create compelling and memorable communication that stands out among the thousands of messages we confront each day? Today's work in visual communication design shifts emphasis from simply designing objects to designing experiences; to crafting form that acknowledges cognitive and cultural influences on interpretation. 
In response, Meredith Davis and Jamer Hunt provide a new slant on design basics from the perspective of audiences and users. Chapters break down our interactions with communication as a sequence of meaningful episodes, each with related visual concepts that shape the interpretive experience. Explanatory illustrations and professional design examples support definitions of visual concepts and discussions of context. Work spans print, screen, and environmental applications from around the world. 
This introduction to visual communication design demystifies the foundational concepts that underpin professional design decisions and shape our experiences in a complex visual world.

Visual Communication Design: An Introduction to Design Concepts in Everyday Experience (Required Reading Range)

Davis, Meredith

Graphic Design

Bloomsbury Visual Arts

From small decisions that paralyze us to big data that knows everything about us, Not to Scale is a thought-provoking guide to navigating the surprising complexities of a networked age when the things that are now shaping experience have no weight or size. The dictionary defines "scale" as a range of numbers, used as a system to measure or compare things. We use this concept in every aspect of our lives-it is essential to innovation, helps us weigh options, and shapes our understanding of the impact of our actions. In Not to Scale, Jamer Hunt investigates the complications of scale in the digital age, highlighting an interesting paradox: We now have a world of information at our fingertips, yet ironically the more informed we have become, the more overwhelmed we feel. The global effects of our daily choices (Paper or plastic? Own or lease? Shop local or buy online?) remain difficult for us to comprehend, and solutions to large-scale national and international issues feel inconceivable. Hunt explains how these challenges are intimately tied to a new logic of scale and provides readers with survival skills for the twenty-first century. By taking massive problems and shrinking them down to size, we can use scale to effect positive change and adapt to the modern era. Connecting our smallest decisions to the grand scheme of things, Not to Scale is a fascinating and empowering guide to comprehending and navigating the high stakes often obscured from our view.

Not to Scale: How the Small Becomes Large, the Large Becomes Unthinkable, and the Unthinkable Becomes Possible

Business & Money

Economics

Grand Central Publishing

Wildwood, New Jersey: thanks to a combination of economics, geography, and chance, this Jersey Shore vacation spot has, for more than four decades, been home to a wealth of immaculately preserved midcentury motels. These jewels of neon and bright colors remained frozen in time until recently; now, a substantial number have been demolished and many that remain face an uncertain future. Determined to preserve them, photographer Mark Havens has captured their unique style over 10 years, sometimes shooting motel facades while workers were demolishing the backs. With essays by Joseph Giovannini and Jamer Hunt and evocative photographs, Out of Season celebrates the architecture of a bygone era of Jersey Shore summers.

Out of Season: The Vanishing Architecture of the Wildwoods

Giovannini, Joseph

Havens, Mark

History & Criticism

Booth-Clibborn Editions

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Books by Hunt, Jamer