REACH OUT AND TOUCH - THE JOY OF THE PHYSICAL IN THE DIGITAL AGE - Sappi
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REACH
OUT
AND
TOUCH
THE JOY
OF THE
PHYSICAL
IN THE
DIGITAL AGE
17/03/2020 12:33
Welcome_3
THE THINGS WE TOUCH
MEAN MORE TO US.
We become attached to them. We understand them more deeply, rely on them,
gravitate towards them. Print is a haptic experience. This publication – with its
thought-provoking essays, eye-opening statistics, powerful illustrations and tactile
pages – takes you on a journey to discover how the power of touch changes the way
we think, feel and behave; and ultimately, influences how we spend our money.
Print is an enduring force in the digital age. We remember text and recall
brand advertising more when we encounter them in print. We trust the printed
word more than the pixellated one. Print excites the senses in a way that no
other medium can replicate.
Reach Out And Touch
is published as a partnership
If print were invented now, you would be amazed at this haptic medium –
between Sappi Europe it’s a wonder format you can touch, carry and feel. Reading a magazine, book
and John Brown.
or newspaper – even a leaflet or menu – is an experience that engages more of
our senses by virtue of the paper’s physicality. As such, print can be a physical
manifestation of a brand and our perception of it – it is trust, quality and value
come to life in three dimensions.
8 Baldwin Street, Leading global paper manufacturer Sappi and award-winning content creator
London EC1V 9NU.
Tel +44 20 7565 3000,
John Brown are passionate about paper, storytelling and engaging consumers in
info@johnbrownmedia.com a way that surprises and delights. This is why we have teamed up to create the
www.johnbrownmedia.com
haptic experience you now hold in your hands.
We hope you enjoy the unrivalled trust, value and intimacy that you get from
something you can touch.
166 Chaussée de la Hulpe,
1170 Brussels, Belgium
Tel +32 2 676 9700,
haptics.uk@sappi.com
www.sappi.com
Sappi North America
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Boston, MA 02109
www.sappi.com
COVER SECTION_Sappi Haptics North America_Sappi 71-74
Contents_5
06 Selling point
How feel affects purchasing decisions
10 Hello world
The influence of touch from the womb onwards
14 Icons of touch 46
Katerina Ian Birch Joann Peck
The importance of packaging design
Fotopoulou Ian Birch is former Joann Peck, PhD, is
Dr Katerina Editorial Director an Associate Professor
of Hearst, where he of Marketing at the 22 Changing lives
Fotopoulou’s research
focuses on topics that oversaw brands such as Wisconsin School of How sight loss transformed an architect’s career
lie at the borders Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Business, University
between neurology Harper’s Bazaar, Men’s of Wisconsin-Madison. 28 Feeling hands-on
and psychology. Health and Good Her research is
Introducing next-generation prostheses
She is founder of Housekeeping, and primarily in the 28
the International Emap, where he helped areas of nonverbal
Association for the launch Red, Closer and communication 30 Let’s get physical
Study of Affective Grazia. He is the and psychological The enduring appeal of analogue technology
Touch (IASAT) author of Uncovered: ownership. She began
Revolutionary Magazine her career with a focus
and Secretary of
Covers – The Inside on haptics, specifically
36 Haptics in numbers
the International Facts and figures
Neuropsychoanalysis Stories Told by the People product touch.
Society. Who Made Them
(Cassell). 38 My favourite
Five leading creatives enthuse about their
most treasured tactile experiences
48 44 See me, feel me, touch me 14
A ground-breaking ad that excites the senses
46 Total recall
New research in text comprehension
48 Good on paper
Chris Downey Charles David Sax A paper engineer on her medium of choice
As one of the world’s Spence The author of
few practising blind bestselling books The 50 The power of print
architects, Chris
Professor Charles
Revenge of Analog: Real
10
Spence is the head How the printed word remains a success, as a
Downey, AIA, of the Crossmodal Things and Why They
consults on design Matter (PublicAffairs), key part of brands’ multi-channel campaigns,
Research Laboratory and in the rise of independent magazines
for the blind and at the University Save the Deli
visually impaired. of Oxford. He is (Houghton Mifflin)
He teaches at the interested in how and The Tastemakers 56 Keep in touch
University of California, people perceive the (Public Affairs), David The rise and rise of the greetings card industry
Berkeley, and is on the world around them; Sax is a writer and
Board of Directors in particular, how our reporter who
for the LightHouse for specialises in business 58 The revolution will be printed
brains process the
the Blind and Visually and culture. Exciting advances in paper technology
information from each
Impaired in San of our senses to form
Francisco. the rich experiences 64 References
that fill our daily lives. 38 Sources for statistics and studies
6_Selling point TOUCH CAN BE AN ALMOST IRRESISTIBLE URGE FOR HUMANS. JOANN PECK EXPLORES WHAT THAT MEANS FOR CONSUMERS AND HOW WE CAN HARNESS THE POWER OF THIS FASCINATING SENSE PHO T O GR A PH Y BY E L I Z A BE T H W EI N BE RG/ T RU N K A RC H I V E
8_Selling point
The importance of touch should not
be underestimated. ‘Keep in touch’ and
in their purchase decisions when they’re
unable to do so. These ‘high need for
a sweater or the softness of a pillow may
be critical to the purchase decision. SIMPLY TOUCHING A
PRODUCT INCREASES
‘on the other hand’ are two of the many touch’ people are the ones ripping open While we know that people touch to
phrases that reflect its historical primacy. packaging in stores in order to assess get product information, what may be less
OUR FEELING OF
In marketing, touch has numerous the feel of products. While a magnified obvious is that they also like to touch for
implications, yet it has lacked the visual may give ‘lower touchers’ the the sake of touching. They enjoy the
attention it deserves. Internet shopping information they seek, it can frustrate interesting texture of paper, the silkiness
OWNERSHIP, WHICH
accounts for less than 9 per cent of global ‘high touchers’ as they will be even more of a soft shirt and the luxurious feel
retail sales; one of the many reasons for motivated to touch. of cashmere. Even when they aren’t
INCREASES THE VALUE
this is the absence of touch online. This Different product categories can also planning to purchase, the lure of some
powerful sense influences customer influence this desire. As touch is so products rewards touchers with a positive
decisions in ways we may not realise. effective at assessing texture, softness, experience. They are touching for fun.
OF THE PRODUCT
weight and temperature, if a product What are the consequences of all
What motivates customers varies on one of these attributes, this touching? Some are obvious, while
to touch? customers are more likely to touch it others are less so. One important insight
Spending countless hours observing before deciding whether to buy. For is that if a customer merely touches a
shoppers in stores has given me many example, they may select the most chilled product in a store, they are more likely
insights. A key finding is that there are bottle of wine if they plan to drink it to purchase it impulsively. In one large
large individual differences in how much soon. In buying a laptop for travel, they grocery study, I placed a sign encouraging
people touch. Some love to touch and may pick up several to feel which is the touch (‘Feel the freshness’) by the
become frustrated and less confident lightest. And determining the texture of peaches and nectarines. This sign not
only increased touching of the product, increases how much they are willing to example, a beautifully textured business people often keep more than one pair.
it also led to a significant increase in pay for an object, since ownership leads card increases perceptions of the quality Free trial periods make customer
unplanned purchases. So, simple touch to valuation. We ran several studies and of the business, as well as customer purchases more likely because they
can increase sales. found that the valuation of a product satisfaction, while a higher-quality paper can obtain product information
can increase as a result of touch. This brochure increased ratings of both a bank through touch and it increases their
The endowment effect is partly because a customer may obtain and a health club. We also have some sense of ownership.
Enabling customers to touch a product some information through touch that evidence that having a tangible touch cue It is simpler to encourage touch in
also increases the valuation, or the they would not otherwise have. Think at the end of an experience is especially a store than online. A display or packaging
amount they are willing to pay for that about the packaging of pens that allows persuasive. Business cards being given out with interesting textures may compel
product. Forty years of research has a customer to feel the grip prior to at the end of an exchange, or a restaurant a shopper to reach out and touch a
shown that an object’s value increases purchase. This additional information bill being delivered on pleasant-feeling product. For example, placing soft
once a person has taken ownership of it adds value, and hence increases the paper or encased in a textured folder, sweaters centrally in a customer traffic
– the endowment effect. In other words, amount a customer is willing to pay may boost customer evaluations of the pattern will encourage touch exploration.
we value what we own. Further studies for them. So, simply touching a product service even further. Once it is in their hands, that sense of
have examined the endowment effect in increases the feeling of ownership, ownership is already forming.
the context of psychological ownership, which increases the value of the product. In the hands of the customer Even if a product doesn’t have an
or the feeling that something is ‘mine’. This is an extremely powerful idea for Knowing what we know, how can we obvious touch attribute, customers can
Psychological ownership can tie someone marketers to understand. harness the power of touch? There are be encouraged to feel it. Apple retailers
to an object in an emotional way. Touch can also be persuasive. I have implications for online companies as strategically tilt the screens of laptops so
For example, you may think of a found that touch that is pleasant, or well as for more traditional bricks-and- that customers must physically adjust –
parking space or a seat in a coffee shop even neutral, influences customer mortar establishments. And often, and therefore touch – the screens in
as ‘yours’. You do not legally own them, responses. We partnered with a local strategies can be complementary, using order to view them.
yet you feel an ownership connection. children’s museum to design a brochure the best of both. First, it is important Impulse purchasing, an increased
Because of this, you may feel infringed encouraging donations. The front of the to get the product in the hands of the feeling of ownership, higher valuation
upon if another person is using your brochure included a soft, fuzzy circle as customer. Many online companies and higher customer satisfaction: the
parking space or seat. Conversely, a great part of the design. This was not a product offer free shipping and friendly return benefits of touch in marketing are huge.
aunt may give a gift that isn’t really ‘you’. attribute, but it did fit with the ‘hands-on’ policies, which are essentially letting So invite touch. Invite play. People are
While you legally own the gift, you may concept of the museum. This inclusion the customer test-drive the product seeking experiences and to have fun.
not feel any psychological ownership or of a touch element increased customer and foster a sense of ownership. Once Use touch strategically to add richness
connection with it. willingness to donate time and money a product is in the customer’s hands, to the retail environment. The results are
One antecedent of psychological to the organisation, further emphasising they see it as their own and they value extremely valuable to marketers as well.
ownership is control. If someone can the power of touch. it more. For example, an online optician Joann Peck is Associate Professor of Marketing
control something – even physically In the context of services, we have may allow a customer to try five pairs at the Wisconsin School of Business, University
control it through touch – they are found that a touch element can lead to of glasses at home and choose which of Wisconsin-Madison. For references, see
more likely to feel ownership. And this much larger customer inferences. For ones to keep – and results show that pages 64-5.
HELLO
information about what the other party
may have been intending to communicate.
As a result, emotionally painful feelings
of social rejection, as well as physical pain,
WORLD
can be reduced by touch alone. In essence,
touch is indispensable as it allows our minds
to speak the language of the body.
Our earliest sense
Touch is the first of our senses to develop,
our earliest form of communication and
the first sense to reach maturity, remaining
central throughout our lives to how we
It is the first of our senses to develop learn about our own bodies in relation
in the womb and it remains central to to the world and others. Studies have
long shown that babies respond to their
our psychological and cognitive growth. mother’s touch while in the womb and
Neuroscientists Katerina Fotopoulou and that twin foetuses will initiate movements
intended to touch each other even before
Laura Crucianelli detail the power of touch 20 weeks of gestation. Interestingly, one
of the most influential contemporary
I L LUS T R AT IONS BY K A R I MODÉ N theories of child psychology, the
attachment theory, suggests that physical
We tend to think of touch as the sensory contact is the central requirement for
ability by which humans explore surfaces healthy psychological and physical
and materials. Yet science suggests development, signalling as it does to the
that touch makes far more important baby a responsive and caring environment.
contributions to human life. It not only Close bodily contact is seen as superior to
brings the skin, our largest organ, in contact other forms of comfort, particularly when
with the physical world, but it also directly an infant is distressed or needs soothing.
connects our body to the social world. Touch is also important for the
We have known for a long time that perception and communication of
touch is a unique and powerful non-verbal psychological values, especially during
channel of communication. A momentary social interactions. This dual function
touch by a waiter or a salesperson can of touch, informing us about both the
increase a person’s positive evaluation of physical and the emotional aspects of one’s
the encounter, their tipping and even their bodily experience, depends on mechanisms
purchases. It was, however, as late as the that can be found both on the skin and in
early 1990s when physiologists discovered the brain. Touch typically occurs among
that humans, like other mammals, may other sensory and motor experiences
have a dedicated neurophysiological system and in given social contexts. Moreover,
for the perception of a gentle, slow, soft, each individual has a touch history, with
stroking touch – that which occurs between memories of it starting in the womb and
a mother and her baby or two lovers. becoming progressively tightly linked with
Subsequent experiments have shown that other sensory and emotional experiences.
we are primed to perceive pleasure when For example, consider holding a lemon
either receiving or giving this kind of touch, in your hand and closing your eyes. As
and we experience it as socially supportive, you explore its familiar shape and feel,
even when we have no other cue or it’s almost impossible not to think of
its colour, its smell and the acidity of its
taste. These different sensory properties,
perceived at different times and by different
senses such as vision, touch, smell and taste,
are nevertheless unified in our memories and
hence in our current perception. The same
multisensory integration underlies many
The power of touch_13
of our cherished tactile experiences, such as couples can lead to decreases in blood
stroking a purring cat, applying a perfumed pressure and stress, and can reduce
body lotion or tracing the letters of an physical pain. Similar findings are piling
impactful sentence in a book. up regarding the role of hugs, massage
This integration of touch with other and other touch-based ways to influence
sensations is how we build the foundations the neurochemistry of the brain
of our sense of self. It starts with being associated with stress, pain and bonding.
cared for as a child, when we deploy all
the senses. We go through the routines of The effect of touch on the brain
being fed, washed, calmed down and put Most theories link the effects of touch
to sleep. Through these experiences, we with three neurochemical systems in the
gain multiple opportunities to learn how brain – the cortisol-based stress-reactivity
to recognise and regulate our own needs system, ‘social’ hormones such as oxytocin
within the context of a safe environment. (the feel-good hormone sometimes known
as the love drug) and the opioid system.
A natural medicine Work in other animals has confirmed the
Thus, emotional touch in early life is importance of touch in these and other
fundamental for the healthy development neurochemical systems. Affiliative touch
of both body and mind. As we progress behaviours, such as grooming, tactile play
through life, we gain a drive for social and tickling, have been shown to stimulate
attachment, proximity and interaction the production of the body’s natural
that is learned from those first months. opiates, the endorphins, so that, for
When we move on to experience separation example, the more grooming a monkey
or rejection by others, we may experience receives, the greater the changes in the
psychological pain. Yet it transpires that if brain’s opioid system. There are also
rejection hurts, touch can also be a source similar findings in animals as regards the
of healing. Seminal rodent studies have flow of oxytocin, known to be released
shown that the frequency of maternal tactile during orgasm. What these neurochemical
behaviours, such as licking and grooming, systems seem to have in common, other
early in life play an important role in than their tight links with touch and social
determining behavioural responses to stress bonding, is their association with sensory
in the short term, as well as in adulthood. pleasure and analgesic effects. There’s no
When puppies are separated from their doubt that positive touch has a unique
mothers, the loss of touch inhibits secretion evolutionary role in linking us to other
of growth hormones and DNA synthesis, members of our species and regulating
and stimulates excessive stress responses. our health in the process.
Importantly, these effects can be selectively For references, see pages 64-5.
reversed by soft, gentle stroking of the
puppy, but not by other types of stimulation.
It has also been proved in humans that
SOCIAL TOUCH
IS CAPABLE OF
social touch is a very good medicine for
stress and pain of many kinds, as it is capable
STIMULATING THE
of stimulating the body’s natural painkillers.
Simple, everyday behaviours, such as
BODY’S NATURAL
hand-holding with partners, family members
or friends, are capable of regulating both
mental and physical stress and pain. Several
investigations in adults have found that PAINKILLERS, WHILE
warm, social, physical contact among
WARM PHYSICAL
CONTACT AMONG
COUPLES CAN LEAD
TO DECREASES IN
BLOOD PRESSURE
The real thing_15 Multisensory packaging is the one most likely to attract customers. Charles Spence, Professor of Experimental Psychology at Oxford University, explains how the desire to touch something physical increases impulse purchasing PHO T O GR A PH Y BY A N DY B A RT E R The past few years have seen a rapid even though the bag-in-a-box represents in people rating the contents as being of Aside from weight, we tend to prefer a special tactile coating technology, Finally, there is the firmness of growth of interest in the multisensory a more sustainable form of packaging, higher quality and, in the case of edible products that we find easier to grasp, which created ‘drops’ resembling the the packaging. Research in the USA design of product packaging. people experience wine sold this way products, likely to be more satiating. or even to imagine grasping, slightly condensation that appears on a can in demonstrated that whether a drinking Traditionally, the focus has been on as tasting different – inferior, in fact – It even affects our perception of scent. more than other products whose the fridge. With one’s eyes closed, say, vessel was flimsy or firm influenced how packaging’s look, but now designers, than the same wine served in a Our researchers documented a 15 per packaging we find it harder to imagine or when feeling around in the bottom a soft drink was rated. Putting these marketing executives and research cork-stoppered bottle. cent increase in perceived fragrance picking up or engaging with. Packaging of the ice bucket, it would still be possible various factors together, the combined scientists are starting to think much intensity when a handwashing solution designers take advantage of this by to identify the Heineken can from all of differences in weight and firmness may more carefully about how it sounds when Weighted for quality was presented in a heavier container. creating affordance points (clues about its smooth competitors. It’s worth noting, help to explain why so many people it’s interacted with, how it smells and, In some of our own observational Little wonder that perfumes are still how the product should be used) that as well, that embossed labels or crests believe that beer and Coke tastes better increasingly, what it feels like in the research, we were able to demonstrate so often sold in heavy glass bottles. improve grip or add texture, such as the on the front of bottles and cans serve out of a glass bottle than from a can. hands. The aim is to create a signature a correlation between the weight of This is a particularly interesting indentation on many roll-on deodorant to encourage the customer to pick up the Research we conducted with Andrew sensory cue that distinguishes one brand a wine bottle and how much you pay. By challenge for designers, given recent cans. Some brands then place important packaging in order to feel the texture. Barnett of Barney’s Beer at the Edinburgh from the rest – think of the iconic shape analysing several hundred bottles in an moves towards light-weighting, and details, such as the brand logo, near this Recent research has also questioned Science Festival demonstrated that of the Coca-Cola bottle, or the look and Oxford shop, we found that for every even eliminating product packaging point, as the eyes usually precede the if packaging can be given a natural feel. simply knowing that a beer had been feel of the Jif lemon juice packaging – extra pound that you pay for a bottle of wherever possible. As such, a number hand when picking up an object. The intuition here is that a product will poured from a glass bottle was sufficient as well as enhancing the consumer’s wine, you get an average of 8g more glass. of researchers are currently trying be rated as more natural or authentic to make people say it tasted better than experience of the product. Astute marketers, of course, are already to figure out whether they can use Signature feel if that is how the packaging feels, too. a glass of beer that they had seen poured It is becoming increasingly clear that on to the potential benefits of adding other cues, such as colour, to give the Beyond the weight and affordances of Some years ago, Japanese designer Naoto from a can instead. people’s feelings about a given product weight to packaging to indicate quality. psychological illusion of weight to their the product packaging, the next thing Fukasawa produced some hyperrealistic In conclusion, therefore, it seems that are very often influenced by their response In fact, I have heard that the correlation product packaging. Interestingly, many to consider is how it feels to the touch – packaging designs that perfectly rendered the weight, texture/feel, compressability to the packaging. One of the classic between price and weight is even stronger studies conducted over the years have is it rough or smooth, for example? the complex feel of the outside of a and temperature of product packaging examples of the power of packaging in the case of lipstick (another product, demonstrated that white or yellow Does it have the feel of a specific strawberry, a banana’s skin and, most are probably all much more important comes from studies on wine. It has been note, with a size that is essentially fixed). objects tend to feel lighter in the hand material? A few years ago, the plastic impressively of all, the hairy feel of a kiwi determinants of the customer experience shown that people tend to prefer wine In our research over the past decade than black or red ones of equivalent packaging of Velvet toilet tissue was fruit. While not cheap, these packaging than people generally realise. And, as from cork-stoppered rather than screwtop or so, we have found that adding a small weight. That said, it is currently unclear treated to give it a luxurious, velvety textures show just what is possible when such, it is probably high time that we bottles, even if they can tell no difference weight to everything from boxes of whether it may be saturation rather feel. Similarly, Heineken created a it comes to the feel (and appearance) of all wake up and feel the packaging. under blind tasting conditions. Similarly, chocolates to cans of fizzy drinks results than hue, per se, that is the key factor. distinctive feel on its beer cans using packaging design. For references, see pages 64-5.
The real thing_17
TOUCH
& SNIFF
GUERLAIN
Originally sold in pots, French brand
Guerlain’s first bullet lipstick was
unveiled in 1870. In 2009, the
company pushed the boundaries of
lipstick luxury to the hilt with Rouge
G, which has a weighty, curvaceous
casing that integrates a sleek double
mirror and has a satisfying click
closure. Jeweller Lorenz Baumer was
enlisted to bestow the design with
the look of a precious jewel. The
packaging of the Rouge G has
evolved by offering a bespoke case
for the refillable lipstick, making it
a sustainable option that represents
the brand’s environmental policy
while giving the customer a
genuine heirloom.
JIF LEMON
Taking its cue from nature itself, this
bottle was developed by designer
Bill Pugh in the 1950s, who carved a
wooden core and covered it in peel
before creating the plastic mould. This
haptic package replicates the feel of
squeezing an actual lemon, but more
conveniently and with less mess.
18_The real thing
CHANEL No5
Designed in 1921 by Coco Chanel,
the simple lines and plain white label
of The Classic Bottle became as
iconic as the fragrance itself. The
chiselled stopper was inspired by the
geometry of the Place Vendôme,
which Coco could see from her
room at the Ritz in Paris. Each bottle
is opened by breaking a thread held
in place by a wax seal – a unique
moment of tactile sensuality.
COCA-
COLA
The original Coca-Cola bottle
was patented in 1915 by the
Root Glass Company, whose
brief was to see off imitators
and develop a bottle ‘so distinct
that you would recognise it by
feel in the dark or lying broken
on the ground’. Coca-Cola
has always prioritised haptic
qualities in its packaging, from
the embossed glass logo to
the curved shape.The real thing_21
APPLE
With an entire ethos built around
brilliant design, Apple creates
packaging to be an extension of the
tech within – smooth, simple and
intuitive. Opening an Apple box is a
truly sensory experience – it’s slow
and seamless - with a devoted fan
base. Unboxing iPhone videos are a
YouTube phenomenon - one for the
iPhone X has had more than 13 million
views to date. The psychological
theory is that these unboxing videos
are aspirational, encouraging an
appetite for something the viewer
wants but doesn’t yet have – the
perfect marketing formula.
TOBLERONE
The triangular shape of this bar is so
distinctive that even if it’s stripped of
its branding, it’s instantly recognisable.
Patented in 1906, the chunky peaks
of chocolate resemble the famous
Swiss Matterhorn pictured on the
packaging. Bern, where it is
produced, is represented by a bear
superimposed on the mountain.Changing lives_23
IN 2008, FOLLOWING THE
REMOVAL OF A BENIGN
BRAIN TUMOUR, ARCHITECT,
PLANNER AND CONSULTANT
CHRIS DOWNEY LOST
HIS SIGHT. RATHER THAN
THINKING OF THIS AS A
CAREER-ENDING EVENT,
CHRIS BEGAN TO RELY ON
HIS OTHER SENSES – MOST
OF ALL, TOUCH – AND
DISCOVERED THAT A WHOLE
NEW UNDERSTANDING
OF ARCHITECTURE WAS
POSSIBLE. HERE, HE EXPLAINS
HOW HIS BLINDNESS
HAS BROUGHT A UNIQUE
PERSPECTIVE TO HIS WORK
I N T E RV I E W BY W I L L I A M SIG S WORT HChanging lives_25
THE FIRST IMPACTFUL
EXPERIENCE OF A BUILDING
IS THE GRIP OF THE FRONT-
DOOR HANDLE. TOUCH
CONTRIBUTES IN AN
ALL-ENCOMPASSING WAY
feeling buildings everywhere we go. People might Visually Impaired. We were designing the staircase to
think that is what blind people do, too – touching link the three floors of their space. That stairwell was
buildings to feel our way around – but that’s not the the heart of everything, the unifying element of the
experience whatsoever. three separate floors – without it, you’d have to leave
There are things we architects know are going to get the space to use the elevators in the surrounding
touched, such as a doorknob or a front door. Think of building’s common area. The staircase was very
those haptic moments in life. One we often experience important, as was the experience people would have
is a handshake. Without sight, the first thing I have to when they used it.
work with when I meet someone is their voice. You While I was designing the handrail, I remembered
can tell a lot: how tall they are, based on where the a past visit to a museum. Going down to a lower gallery,
voice is coming from (as long as you understand the I’d found the first step with my cane and reached for
level of the ground – are they on an incline?). You also the handrail. The minute my hand took it, I was
get a glimpse into a person’s personality from their stopped in my tracks. It was unlike any handrail I’d
speech patterns. But it all happens so quickly as, ever felt, fitting the hand incredibly well. I had to
without sight, you have to focus so much more on it, take a photograph of it.
while still listening to what they say. Then you have When we were designing the staircase for the
the handshake: by its intensity and its length, you can LightHouse, we studied that photograph. At first,
almost sense the sincerity of the grip. The same is we created drawings. I would sketch the designs, and
true of a front door. That first, immediate, impactful then the architects I was working with would draw
experience of a building is the grip of the front-door it on the computer, and finally I would print their
handle (unless it has an automatic opener). drawings to work with. But I realised that there was
I also really like to think about the sequence of something wrong with the process: we were doing it
things as you move through a building, what you know all visually. We couldn’t grip these drawings, we couldn’t
you are likely to physically engage with, and then experience them. So, instead, we created a 3D print
design that object for each moment in the sequence of all the sections of the handrail we were exploring,
Though incredibly important to an architect, touch experience is visual, leaving just 20 per cent for Chris created this of experience. Touch, then, may or may not be which allowed us to actually grip it ourselves. It really
tactile handrail for
is not a sense that is always appreciated by us. In fact, everything else. Our sense of taste doesn’t have immediately understood by the visitors to the transformed the process into one appropriate for the
the LightHouse
a criticism often levelled at our profession is that a whole lot to do with architecture, but the senses for the Blind and building, but it contributes to the experience in sensory experience it was being tailored to.
we have become so visually orientated. With all the of touch, smell and hearing are so important. Visually Impaired an all-encompassing way.
screens we now work with, sight is easy and quick – Embellishing our understanding
it gives us the ability to see at a distance and we don’t The haptic moment The creative touches Thanks to the tools I use in my design, I can feel the
even have to be there in person. But in reality, the end Touch is especially key, as it is almost the antithesis of In architecture, we use drawings to drawing. For architects, the mind plays an important
product is not on a screen, it’s not a representation; sight: sight is distance, it’s detached, there’s no direct design our work. We may use models, part in visual design – you’re an active viewer, a critical
it’s a real thing in space and time. And a big part of physical relationship between the viewer and the too, but they’re also about visualising viewer, so your mind is hard at work, thinking through
that is the full range of sensations that you get only object seen; touch is the most immediate, the most the space, rather than the surfaces – each condition, how it fits into the overall experience
by physically experiencing a building. impactful sense – it’s how you directly engage. Touch seldom are they designed to be explored and what you’re trying to achieve.
With sight, the reaction is, ‘Oh, that looks good,’ really does inform that sense of complete architectural through touch. In my work, however, My tactile perspective makes everything so much
as opposed to, ‘That feels good.’ Touch is something design. When you transform ‘It looks good’ into ‘It touch is a vital part of the design process. more immediate. Reading a plan through touch is
subtler, as it might not come to mind as quickly. For feels as good as it looks’, that’s a better place to be. I worked on a project in San Francisco very different from looking at it visually, and in some
most people, 80 per cent of the environmental sensory That’s not to say that as architects we go around called the LightHouse for the Blind and ways more difficult: you don’t see the whole thingChanging lives_27
READING A PLAN THROUGH
TOUCH IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM
LOOKING AT IT VISUALLY, AND
IN SOME WAYS MORE DIFFICULT to walk down the stair holding onto that handrail,
you notice what wasn’t considered, such as the edges
and that it’s not comfortable to grip. It changes your
THE TOOLS
OF THE TRADE
1. Wax sticks
immediately and then understand the detail; you find as I, with my fingertips in the space, review, study perception of the building. And if you don’t have I use these where I
the detail first and then have to build out to the whole. and move through it. sight, and that’s the only thing you experience, it can feel the drawing
underneath that I’m
It can take a while to figure it out, but once you do, An architectural drawing can be as detached as doesn’t leave you with a good impression of the
working on. It’s like
once you have the lie of the land, you can really work sight. If we’re just looking at it, we tend to look at it building – whether you’re conscious of it or not. I’m looking at it
with it – because you’re in the space. It’s like the for its compositional value: ‘It’s a good composition, And then there are the surrounding textures. through tracing paper
parable of the group of blind men who have never seen great job! You can go home now.’ Whereas with a Something I never thought about when sighted and and drawing on top, only
an elephant and are each touching a different part. sense of touch, and your mind needing to be active working as an architect was the wall surface behind everything is tactile.
Each man conceives of the elephant in a different way, in thinking through all those things, it takes you to the handrail. One of the principles of universal design
2. 3D-printed models
based on their limited, subjective experience – the one a deeper level of understanding what it would be like is tolerance for error: the appreciation that not We did a 3D print
feeling the animal’s trunk has a very different mental to be in that space. everyone uses things with the same level of precision of all the sections we
picture from the one who is feeling the flank. or dexterity. I was in a convention centre once, which were exploring for a
Chris consulted on
As I work with a design over time, my understanding Not good to touch had a handrail attached to a very rough wall. When handrail, and then we
were able to actually
San Francisco’s gets embellished with all the surfaces that define a If not done well, the wrong sense of touch in I ran my knuckles across the wall, it felt like running
grip it ourselves – and
Salesforce Transit space: the floor, the walls, the ceilings, the windows, architecture can be hugely detrimental. It can go your fingers across a cheese grater. It may have looked have the client work
Center, helping to the lights, even the colour, how the light comes to the from, ‘It looks good,’ to, ‘Oh my God, this thing feels very nice, but it didn’t support that notion of with it – to narrow down
create a navigable
space – a lot of the things we think about visually. horrible.’ For example, something often done is a imprecision or tolerance for error. the things we liked.
path for visually
impaired Having had sight for 45 years, I can still visualise the simple steel bar handrail – it might look really crisp It’s short-sighted, if you’ll excuse the pun, not to Then we kept evolving
the design based on how
passengers space, it’s just a matter of engaging in it intellectually and really good in a drawing, but the minute you try anticipate that people may accidentally hit an area
it fitted the hand, not
around a tactile surface. And the sense of touch is not how it looked visually.
just based on what you feel with your hand – it’s about
your whole body. After all, we’ve all experienced good 3. Embossing printer
benches and bad benches. There are two ways you I take drawings people
see and turn them into
understand a surface underfoot when you’re blind: one
PDFs – they look like
is with your cane, as your cane tip hits the ground and normal drawings on the
the texture is vibrated through the shaft to your hand; computer screen, but my
the other is through your footfalls, which is also true printer converts all the
of sighted people. You don’t get the same level of texture lines to a tactile
experience, so I can
perception as you do with your cane, but you can glean
‘read’ them.
a lot of information. You get a sense through your feet
of the overall character that the building conveys.
A building design should always be considered as FEEL-GOOD
Photography: © Don Fogg, © Don Fogg/Mark Cavagnero Associates Architects,
a tactile experience as well as a visual one. I need to BRANDING
In 2017, chocolate brand
anticipate the areas that get touched intentionally Maltesers created a
or accidentally. Architects are accustomed to putting Braille poster – made
© Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects/Transbay Joint Powers Authority
together material sample boards. We put materials with model chocolate
next to each other to get an overall sense of the colour balls – to promote
palette and what comes through that colour, such as diversity in advertising.
The poster, on display at
the warmth or coolness of the space, but this process a London bus stop, read:
is typically done on a visual level. I use those materials ‘Caught a really fast bus
to evaluate the tactile experience as well – not just the once, turns out it was
surface, but selecting a material that has the properties a fire engine,’ to tie in
that will enable you to do the joinery, the edges, the with Maltesers’ ‘Look on
the light side’ campaign.
corners and the bends in a way that all contributes to Audio directed people to
that experience. Anticipating those things that will be Facebook if they needed
touched is vital to the architectural design process. the Braille translated.Changing lives_29
21st-century prosthetics are incorporating Prostheses – artificial devices designed to
ground-breaking haptics to enhance replace a missing body part – have existed
FEELING
for thousands of years, from artificial toes
the life of the disabled user in ancient Egypt and shield-supporting
metal hands in the Middle Ages through
to lifelike plastic limbs in the 20th century.
Nowadays, previously rudimentary
prostheses have been replaced with
HANDS-ON
carbon-fibre appendages, which are
stronger, lighter and even capable of a range
of movements. But until recently, every
iteration of these devices had been missing
a crucial feature: the sense of touch.
Intuitive connections Recreating muscle sense
‘Touch helps guide us through every The impact of this innovation is
movement we make,’ says Dr Marcia significant. A 2017 study by Dr O’Malley
O’Malley, Professor of Mechanical and her colleagues found that tactile
Engineering at Rice University. ‘For feedback on the skin allowed blindfolded
able-bodied people, it’s a totally instinctive test subjects to more than double their
sense. Imagine you pick up a cup of coffee. ability to discern the size of objects
You know how far you need to reach, how grasped by a prosthetic hand. The
hard to grasp the mug, how smooth the artificial limbs that Dr O’Malley works
mug is, its temperature and how to get it with are non-invasive, although there are
to your mouth, all because of your sense more advanced prostheses that rely on
of touch. People who use prostheses can’t surgical integration, such as DARPA’s
decipher this information without actively Revolutionizing Prosthetics programme,
relying on other cues and senses, which where electrodes or wires are implanted
makes basic tasks much more challenging.’ around nerve bundles under the skin. But
Dr O’Malley and her research team have according to the study, even non-invasive
spent years working on technology that prosthetics could help replicate the vital
will enable prostheses wearers to overcome ‘muscle sense’ that prostheses wearers lack.
these obstacles, identifying haptics as the
most promising solution. Refining the basics
Haptics-equipped prostheses contain Dr O’Malley concedes that prosthetics
electrodes in a socket that fits over the face some challenges, but says that haptic
stump of an arm. When the user flexes technology has given the field a new focus.
the muscles that remain in the stump, ‘It’s one thing having a device that can
electrical signals are picked up by the move in all these humanistic ways, but
electrodes, which relay messages to the users’ actuators – that is, the different
prosthetic hand, telling it to open, close, things they can do with their existing
grasp or extend (‘there’s some muscle muscle to facilitate these different
Words: Rachel England. Photography: Getty Images
training involved for the user,’ says movements – are more limited. We’re
Dr O’Malley). This feeds back with working on ways to expand this, but right
a haptic response that gives the user now we have to prioritise and refine the
a more intuitive understanding of the most important movements, and it’s
object they’re holding. A ‘squeezing’ haptic feedback that’s adding a vital level
sensation around the stump might reveal of functionality.’ As Dr O’Malley notes,
how hard the hand is grasping, for prosthetics will never enable wearers
example, while vibrations might indicate to regain the sensation of their missing
texture or that the object is slipping. limb. However, innovation in the
technology does mean that artificial
limbs will become more naturalistic,
helping users regain the functionality
only possible through the sense of touch
that so many of us take for granted.
For references, see pages 64-5.30_Embracing analogue
let’s
get
physical
David Sax enthuses about the success of the
analogue fightback in the digital age
I L LUS T R AT IONS BY T OBY T R I U M PH32_Embracing analogue
Sales of printed books, vinyl records,
instant film cameras and other analogue
You see this most interestingly in
digital companies, which, far from being
upon which a robust business model can
be built that points towards a profit.
us happy. It gives us something that’s
tangible, whether it’s holding a novel in our WE ARE GRAVITATING
media are on the rise. But what’s driving it,
if the digital alternative is readily available?
Luddites, have the best technology at
their disposal. Google, for example, uses
A physical product, with its identifiable
costs per unit, is a measurable means
hands, having vinyl on our shelf, or seeing
a photo emerge from a camera that can be TOWARDS THAT
PHYSICAL EXPERIENCE
Those of us who are gravitating back to paper in the first stage of product design. of assessing revenue. This is versus a pinned to a board, framed or given to
analogue in some way are not doing it as All designers and engineers take a typical digital start-up, whose business someone – these are the sorts of things
BECAUSE IT MAKES US
a rejection of digital; rather, we’re actually mandatory course on how to draw these model is based on free user access in that the digital equivalents simply cannot
drawn to it as a complementary technology things on paper. This is because Google order to acquire numbers, in the hope deliver. And it is something that is really
HAPPY. IT GIVES US
to the apps, software and hardware that discovered that it makes the ideas better that it will one day get bought out, but deeply, inherently human and relates to
we use every day, in work and at home. and less constrained than if they were which doesn’t actually make any money. who we are as consumers. We like physical
SOMETHING TANGIBLE
We are adopting analogue because it created using software. (Think Uber or Spotify.) matter, we want to be able to buy things
provides something that digital simply Another example is Amazon, which and give things and play things and have
cannot. After a long period using digital eschews PowerPoint in favour of paper Deep connections things strewn about our house and hold
technology – around 20-something years memos for executives to read quietly for The second reason for our embrace things in our hands. The psychological
– we’ve had time to evaluate its benefits 30 minutes before discussing at a meeting. of analogue is what I call ‘analogue for and emotional rewards are much the practical focus on productivity and physical object that indulges our haptic
and also where it might fall short. They cannot use devices in that period, the heart’. Illogically, we’re indulging higher, and we are willing to pay for that. the illogical, irrational, but very much sense. Touch is still one of the most
We’re rediscovering analogue – or, for so everybody is literally on the same page. in things that we’re told should not exist Interestingly, the consumers that romantic and pleasure-driven reasons. important ways we have to experience
Photography (pp30-31): Oliver Hoffmann/Alamy Stock Photo
young consumers, adopting it for the first They are able to digest ideas without or are too costly or too cumbersome. are driving this analogue trend are the the world that we live in. We spend
time – for two reasons. The first is for distractions, which enables them to have After all, books, vinyl, film photography younger ones – the generation Ys, the Analogue touch all day touching things with every part
purpose and productivity: when we feel a more focused conversation, rather than and board games can all be simulated millennials and, increasingly, those Touch is a huge part of this, if not the of our body; it’s the way that we first
it delivers a better performance. So, for staring at a presentation filled with stock on a phone, for relatively little money, even younger. They have grown up with major part. You can hold a tablet or a communicate with the world as a child.
example, we take notes in a Moleskine imagery or being diverted by their phones. taking up no space and having less of digital technology and it is as familiar to phone in your hand, of course, but you’re When we have a digitised version of
notebook not out of a sense of nostalgia Many other companies use whiteboards, an environmental impact in terms of them as the air around them. So there is doing so merely as a means to look at something, touch is completely
or romance, but rather because it is a or find ways of involving paper and what they take to produce (for example, a novelty and a deep connection to these something else on it. And everything on eliminated. The reward we get from
functional action that delivers a different physical things in the design process, a sound file versus a vinyl record made physical, feel-good things and they see that screen is the same – just rendered the touch of something may be seen
result than recording ideas on a screen. all of which are aimed at the notion of toxic plastics). them as ‘special’. pixels. There is no variation in texture, as insubstantial, but it actually triggers
And after using both, we are finding of productivity. In this way, they are And yet, we are gravitating towards So, the embrace of analogue is down to just the smooth glass of your screen. a very deep emotional reaction. Think
a combination of the two that works. potentially able to make and sell a product that physical experience because it makes a combination of the head and the heart: So it’s the tangibility of the actual, of a book. There’s no logical reasonEmbracing analogue_35
why we should read something on paper These are real social experiences, the talks or the presentation slides any day of the week, it’s crowded, not
rather than digitally. The information not #socialexperiences. You can go to that matter, it’s the parts in between: because of price or selection, because
is exactly the same, we don’t get fewer a concert and witness people holding up you make coffee, you chat, you crack you’re often paying more in an Apple
letters or words or ideas. And yet, as their phones, streaming and tagging it, jokes, you form friendships – that’s store, but because they provide the best
many who have used an ebook will but they are creating a simulation of real what is important. retail therapy experience – things you can
attest, there is something missing – life. That’s what Instagram is based upon touch, things you can see, good service.
and that thing is touch. It is the weight – an experience in the real world you want Sensual retail therapy It doesn’t make long-term sense to suggest
of the book, the texture of the spine to share. We’re social creatures, after all. One of the consequences of the growth that physical retail is dead when online
and the edges, and the roughness of the Another thing that is interesting is of digital technology is that it shifted retailers are busy opening bricks and
pages. It is the sight of the grain and the how the board games industry is thriving. a lot of thinking in the business world. mortar shops or launching frequent
quality of the paper that has been used. You can play all sorts of games online Existing things were dismissed as having pop-ups. While we may never return
Again, all of these things should be with other people around the world; it’s no value once digital came along and to the 1990s landscape of a burgeoning
inconsequential, yet there is a reason a massive multi-million-dollar industry, proved itself ‘superior’ in some way. high street, it is similarly short-sighted
why physical book sales are growing and and there’s a social aspect to it, but Take retail: when online shopping first to predict its eternal demise. We are
ebooks are declining, and that is because sitting alone in front of a screen is launched, the thinking was: ‘This record biological, flesh-and-blood creatures;
the consumers, deep down, somewhere different to playing a board game or or book store is worthless – look at the we interact with the world through all
beyond that logic, prefer touch. There is cards face to face with friends or family. greater selection and cheaper prices five senses – and the companies that turn
something that they enjoy; it gives them The game is almost an excuse for the online!’ Yet independent book stores that to their advantage are more likely
something greater. socialising that happens: the laughter, are surging (between 2009 and 2015, the to enjoy a successful future.
I have two young children. They love the jokes, the drinks that you share. My number grew by 35 per cent in the US) David Sax is a journalist and the author of
books; they read them every night. When wife plays Mahjong with a bunch of her because they have the value of physical The Revenge of Analog: Real Things
my son was two, he would come walking friends once a month. They make snacks, space, the analogue means of getting to and Why They Matter (PublicAffairs).
in carrying his choice, saying, ‘book book catch up and bond. The game isn’t the a reader, they provide something that For references, see pages 64-5.
book book book!’ We learn from a very point (they’ve all been playing for eight digital does not. Just as you cannot hold
young age the value and pleasure of books, years and they haven’t got any better!). a digital item in your hand, you cannot
and they are a very tactile thing. The It’s the social aspect – whether it’s people build a relationship with the people
physicality of a book is built into the meeting for a book club or chatting in working in an online store.
experience of reading from that age, a record store – that is the substantial Online retail can only provide two
and that doesn’t diminish over time; we thing. It’s the same in the workplace. things: price and selection, which is always
might have more opportunities to read There’s a real benefit to having people going to be a race to the bottom. Apple
in other sorts of ways, but the pleasure sit together at a meeting. I speak at was the first computer company to open its
of the book and paper continues. conferences all the time, and it’s not own stores. If you go to an Apple store on
It’s the same for vinyl records – it’s the
physical thing you are buying, the physical
WITH VINYL, IT′S
thing that is the premium, and touch is a
premium that people are willing to pay for.
The live factor
THE PHYSICAL
THING YOU ARE
The notion that a simulation, with screens
and headphones, can be a convincing
alternative to the real thing is a false one.
VINYL RECORDS PRINT BOOKS
Silicon Valley’s evangelical promise of
virtual reality is not ultimately satisfying. BUYING, AND
4.2 MILLION
SOLD IN £1.63 The analogue world is the world that we
live in and anything that we experience TOUCH IS A
PREMIUM
with all five senses is going to be richer. We
2018 - HIGHEST BILLION
inevitably glean more enjoyment attending
LEVEL SINCE BOUGHT IN THE
PEOPLE WILL
a live concert than we do watching the
THE EARLY 1990s UK IN 2018 same event on a screen. And that’s due
PAY FOR
to all the other influencing factors – the
TABLETOP GAMES CASSETTE TAPES anticipatory crowds, the reverberations we
24% 90 % feel with our body. This experience takes
more effort and costs more money, both
SALES to produce and to consume, but the reward
REVENUE INCREASE YEAR- is greater, and that’s something that we
GROWTH 2016-17 ON-YEAR IN 2018 increasingly see as of value.1 2
HAPTICS IN NUMBERS
15 TO
BOOKSHOPS ROSE BY
IN 2018, THE NUMBER
65 %
THE SECOND YEAR
AN INCREASE FOR
OF INDEPENDENT
IN
THE AVERAGE
883
40
READER
SPENDS
IN A ROW
PEOPLE SHARE ADVERTS
THEY READ IN MAGAZINES
WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY
TRUST PRINTED NEWSPAPERS
57%
IN 2018, THE UK TABLETOP GAMES MARKET WAS WORTH
£350 MILLION
TRUST ONLINE
MINUTES NEWSPAPERS
READING
A MAGAZINE
190.9
THE FOURTH YEAR RUNNING
IN 2018 IN THE UK
MILLION
18% 81%
AS THE MARKET GREW FOR
AND IS GROWING
PRINTED BOOKS WERE SOLD
36%
HAVE BRAND
RECOGNITION AFTER OF VIEWABLE
16%
SEEING A PRINT AD DIGITAL DISPLAY
ADS ARE NOTICED
HAVE PURCHASED
73%
SOMETHING
OR TRAVELLED
HAVE BRAND SOMEWHERE AFTER
RECOGNITION READING ABOUT
AFTER SEEING OF PRINT ADS IT IN A MAGAZINE
A DIGITAL AD ARE NOTICED For sources, see pages 64-5.You can also read
