Every object, even the most mundane, constructs meaning through what it invites us to do and through the way it fits into everyday practices.
The Faucet
A faucet immediately communicates how it should be used: turn, pull, push.
But it does more than indicate the action—it also conveys how the gesture should be performed. A minimalist steel faucet suggests control, precision, and modernity, while one with separate knobs evokes tradition, ritual, and a slower, more deliberate interaction.
Turning the water on and off is not a neutral gesture: the rotation of the knob, the resistance of the mechanism, and the flow’s gradualness shape how the body relates to the object. A knob faucet requires attention, a lever faucet speeds up the gesture, and an automatic faucet introduces values of control and efficiency, delegating part of the responsibility to the object itself.
Here, the practical value intertwines with the utopian: it is not just about getting water, but about suggesting an idea of comfort, hygiene, and lifestyle.
The Chair
The chair is one of the most studied objects in design precisely because it connects body, space, and culture. A rigid, upright chair communicates formality, discipline, and control over the body; a low, soft armchair, on the other hand, invites relaxation, lingering, and informal use of space. Its ergonomics are not merely functional—they guide behavior and social interaction.
The Remote Control
The remote control is a clear example of an object-interface. Its role is to translate a complex technological system into a series of simple gestures. Button layout, colors, and visual hierarchy communicate what is important, what is secondary, and what is reserved for advanced users.
When a remote is difficult to use, the problem is not with the user: it is the object that communicates ineffectively, making the connection between gesture and function difficult.
The Water Bottle
Even a water bottle constructs meaning through its material and visual characteristics.
A lightweight plastic bottle conveys practicality and quick consumption, while a glass bottle suggests quality, care, and sustainability. Shape, cap, and label do not speak of the water itself but of its symbolic value, consumption context, and the brand identity it represents.
The Smartphone
The smartphone is an object-system: it communicates through screen, sounds, vibrations, and interfaces.
It is not just a tool, but a node of intersubjectivity: it connects apps, notifications, images, and social timing. The interface is not neutral: it invites, guides, interrupts, and captures attention. Every gesture (tap, swipe, scroll) is anticipated, designed, and normalized. In this sense, the smartphone becomes a delegated actant: it acts for us and on our behalf, reorganizing time, attention, and social interaction.
In all these cases, objects never communicate alone: they acquire meaning within networks of objects, spaces, instructions, and habits. This is what semiotics calls textuality: an object can be read like a text, but its meaning emerges only in context and through the relationships it maintains with other elements.
Kitchen, bathroom, desk: these are not random collections of things, but systems of objects that produce social meaning, identity, and lifestyle. Analyzing them reveals the design choices that transform signs into experience.
Sources:
• Floch, J.-M. (1995). Visual Identities. Continuum.
• Marrone, G. (n.d.). From Design to Interobjectivity: Introductory Issues. Filosofi(e)Semiotiche, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2020.
