The Semantic Turn

An indispensable guide, The Semantic Turn offers designers a foundation on which to state their claims and validate their designs. Written by a recognized designer and distinguished scholar of communication and language use, the book builds an bridge between language/communication theory and human-centered conceptions of contemporary artifacts. Clarifying how the semantic turn differs from other approaches to meaning, the author develops four new theories of how artifacts make sense and presents a series of meaning-sensitive design methods, illustrated by examples, and evaluative techniques that radically depart from the functionalist and technology-centered tradition in design.

Klaus Krippendorff

Foreword, Introduction and Overview, Chapter 1. History and aim, Chapter 2. Basic concepts of human-centered design, Chapter 3. Meaning of artifacts in use, Chapter 4. Meaning of artifacts in language, Chapter 5. Meaning in the lives of artifacts, Chapter 6. Meaning in an ecology of artifacts, Chapter 7. Design methods, research, and a science for design, Chapter 8. Distantiations, Chapter 9. Roots in the Ulm School of Design?, References, Credits, Index, About the Author