99% Invisible - 99% Invisible-41- The Human-Human Interface

Episode Date: December 3, 2011

Paola Antonelli is the Senior Curator in the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art. Her most recent blockbuster show, Talk to Me, explored the communication between people and objects: from chairs that talk to subway … Continue reading →

We get support from UC Davis, a globally ranked university, working to solve the world's most pressing problems in food, energy, health, education, and the environment. UC Davis researchers collaborate and innovate in California and around the globe to find transformational solutions. It's all part of the university's mission to promote quality of life for all living things. Find out more at 21centry.ucdavis.edu. This is 99% Invisible. I'm Roman Morris. In the world of Philip K. Dick, humans are often at the mercy of objects, like taxis, coffee makers, and doors. Here's a scene from his book, Ubik.

The door refused to open. It said, five cents please. Joe Chip refused to open. It said 5 cents please. Joe Chips searched his pockets. No more coins, nothing. I'll pay you tomorrow he told the door. Again he tried the knob. Again it remained locked tight. From the drawer besides the sink, Joe got a stainless steel knife.

With it he began systematically to unscrew the bolt assembly of his money gulping door. I'll sue you, the door said, as the first screw fell out. That's Benjamin Walker. He told me he's always subscribed to Dix' dystopian vision of man versus object. But then he met up with Paula Antonelli. Philip K. Dix' view of the future of objects was definitely dystopian and he needed it for like drama reasons. But in truth, we've had a report with objects throughout the centuries. I mean there's always been affection, emotion, heirloom

ring or the bridge where you had your first kiss. I mean there's always been an attachment. There's a whole universe in every single object that becomes even bigger when put in relationship with a person. Paula Antonelli is a senior curator in the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art. Her most recent blockbuster show, Talk to Me, examined the future and the history of communication design. Furniture design or car design is just one fragment of the design world.

And for many years there's been something called communication design, which maybe before used to be called graphic design, which is the design of messages, be it advertising or be it, you know, just signage. So it's existed. So that's design whose subject is communication. But right now, the difference is that even furniture designers need to understand that a chair might need to have some kind of conversation with people. There was a talking chair in her show.

This is the arrow in which chairs can talk. I think it can talk, they can sing. And talking toys and talking maps, but there were also ATMs and subway kiosks. According to Paula Antonelli, cutting edge communication design is all about the interface. When you say interface, you can take out the face and put section, you can take out section and put relation.

I mean, it's one of the focal points of the way we live today and the way culture moves today. Paula Antonelli says, designers understand the interface between people and objects better than say science fiction writers because what they're really working on is the interface between people and people. One of the pieces she put in her show was a menstruation machine designed by Sputniko.

And in that particular case, the interface is not between man and machine. It's between man and woman, right? So it's a contraption that looks like a chestety belt that it's for men, but also for men or puzzle women. And it really gives you the feeling of a menstruation. It has electrodes, the stimulator lower abdomen, and they give you cramps. And then it has a reservoir in the back. You're supposed to draw your blood, put it in there and then you have your blood drip exactly where it should.

So it's the whole shabang and to me it's the ultimate gesture of understanding and that's what I really love. That interface, not the human machine interface. The human machine interface, you know what? We are all doing engineers, designers, scientists. We're all trying to make technology disappear. That's the truth. Just like we go through the toll booths in freeways using easy paths, and we still have that box, but we don't think about it. That's how life should be, so that we can focus

on real human habits and human needs as opposed to focusing on the technology. 99% Invisible was produced this week by Benjamin Walker, who produces the radio program too much information from WFMU. He also sports a Philip K. Dick inspired Yubik Tattoo on his arm. This program is made possible with support from Lunar, making a difference with creativity. It's a project of KALW, local public radio 91.7 in San Francisco. The American Institute of Architects in San Francisco, and the Center for Architecture

and Design. This program is distributed by PRX, the public radio exchange, making public radio more public, more at prx.org. Our intern is Sam Greenspan. To find out more about this show, and listen to past episodes, there's like 43 of them. It's on the website at 99%Invisible.org. We won't get far. Fly in circles inside the jaw.