Non Intentional Design

«Non Intentional Design (NID) is a term we have invented and which has not yet entered everyday linguistic use. (Perhaps this will change following publication of this book.) NID refers to the day-to-day redefining of the defined. NID deals with norms which are «abnormally» transformed — every day, everywhere, by everyone. It is about the use and the exploitation of objects already designed: the chair (also) becomes a coat stand, a surface to put things on, a ladder or — for example by piling books on the seat — a child's chair; staples are suitable for cleaning fingernails and for removing CDs from the computer; magnets on the fridge turn it into a notice board; steps are not just there to overcome differences in height, but also serve as seats and ramps for skaters; jam jars accommodate pens and Biros; cardboard boxes metamorphose into storage containers, a dirt track provides a shortcut... — the possibilities are endless. Look at your own living room, kitchen or desk from this perspective: you are no exception — you are also an NID person just like the rest of us. Non Intentional Design lends apparently unambiguous objects a polymorphism, implies transformation combined with clever invention and novel functions. NID is created out of necessity, convenience and play. It is frequently reversible and sometimes the product will be given a definite new application. NID does not want to design anything; no new design is being created here. It simply uses, converts, and generates something new or replaces something old as a result. NID could spare us much expense and trouble and could open design professionals' eyes to a more sensitive perception of their clients' requirements. The cultural diversity of the otherwise mainly globally organized and available world of products proves itself in usage only. It is high time to recognize the purely everyday, though exciting reinvention of all objects: because NID re-empowers people by returning to them their confidence and autonomous use of the object world.»