Category: Communication Design

Bruno Munari (1907–1998) devoted much of his research to a simple yet radical question: how do objects communicate even before they are rationally understood?
In his work, Munari shifts attention from content to the way an object is perceived, explored, and used by the body. Shape, materials, weight, texture, and sequence guide experience before any conceptual or linguistic interpretation, showing that perceiving is already a form of understanding.

His Work

The Prelibri are a series of small books designed for children who cannot yet read: they contain neither words nor traditional narrative images, but use different materials, tactile surfaces, cuts, holes, and transparencies. Each book invites touching, flipping, folding, and observing.
“They should give the feeling that the books are actually made this way and contain surprises. Culture indeed comes from surprises, that is, from things previously unknown” (Munari).
The meaning does not arise from written content but from the very act of flipping through, from the rhythm of the pages, the color variations, and the weight of the paper. The book communicates through direct experience.

In the Libri illeggibili, Munari removes text entirely to focus on the material elements of the book. Shape, color, sequence, and texture become perceptual messages, teaching that object communication can occur without words.

The Tactile Laboratories complete this vision: experiences where material qualities guide action and understanding without the need for instructions or pre-defined functions.

These examples show how objects can educate perception: surfaces invite exploration, forms suggest action. Objects do not require instructions because their use is embedded in their structure. Munari demonstrates that communicating does not mean transmitting fixed content, but opening possibilities for experience: the sign becomes experience, and the body becomes the primary recipient of meaning.

Sources:
• Corraini Edizioni. (n.d.). I Prelibri di Bruno Munari.
• Pastore, Z. (2019). Prelibri di Bruno Munari: How They Are Used and What They Are For. Nostrofiglio.
• Corraini Edizioni. (n.d.). The Unreadable Book.
• Corraini Edizioni. (n.d.). Bruno Munari’s Tactile Workshops.
• Fois, E. (2021). Bruno Munari, the Poet of Design Who Taught to See with New Eyes. DEESUP Magazine.
• Fabbri, M. (2021). Munari and the Perception of Objects. Disegno, Unione Italiana Disegno.

The concept of affordance, introduced by psychologist James J. Gibson in his ecological theory of perception (1979), describes how objects directly communicate their potential use. According to Gibson, perception is not a complex mental process, but a direct one: information for action is already present in the objects and the surrounding environment.

Possibilities for Action

Affordances indicate the actions that an object or space makes possible. Shape, material, and arrangement suggest how to interact: a handle invites grasping, a flat surface supports weight, a button prompts pressing. To perceive something is to immediately grasp what can be done.
Affordance is not an absolute property of the object but emerges from the relationship between object and user. A tall chair allows an adult to sit, but not a small child; a step may be navigable for a person, but not for a stroller. In this sense, objects communicate action possibilities that are directly perceivable, emerging from the interaction between body, environment, and context.

Affordances and Design

In design, affordances become a tool for non-verbal communication. When an object is well designed, its affordances are clear; when they are ambiguous, they cause confusion or errors. Iconic examples are Norman doors—doors designed so that users perform the wrong action. The error is not the user’s but the design’s, because perceived and actual affordances do not match.
Donald Norman further developed the concept, distinguishing between real affordances (actions that are actually possible) and perceived affordances (actions the user believes are possible). In effective design, these two dimensions align. Even in digital environments, buttons, icons, and links use color, shadow, and visual feedback to make affordances visible: communication occurs at the perceptual level, even before cognitive processing.

Gibson and Norman show that objects speak to the body before they speak to the mind. Shape, materials, and placement in the environment become the language through which the material world communicates with us.

Sources:
• Gibson, J. J. (1979). The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception. Houghton Mifflin.
• Norman, D. A. (2013). The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition. Basic Books.
• UX Design. (2019). Introduction to the Norman Door.
• Santagostino Magazine. (n.d.). Affordances in Psychology.
• Unicusano. (n.d.). The Ecological Theory of Gibson.
• Psiche Altervista. (n.d.). The Ecological Theory of Perception by Gibson.

Perception is the process through which the brain organizes and interprets sensory information to build a meaningful experience of the world. These processes occur automatically and unconsciously, through the interaction between what we perceive and what we already know.
Perception is therefore subjective: our past experiences, expectations, selective attention, and prior knowledge shape the way we observe the world. Sensory systems receive physical stimuli and transform them into neural signals, which the brain processes, attributing form, meaning, and identity.
In this sense, perception represents the link between a physical object and the meaning we assign to it. Shapes, colors, materials, and movements are interpreted in milliseconds, guiding our reactions even before conscious processing occurs. As James J. Gibson notes, “perception is not an internal representation of the world, but a direct process of exploring the environment” (Gibson, 1979), highlighting the active role of the observer in interacting with objects.

Visual Object Recognition

Visual recognition occurs in two main stages: an initial stage of structural description and a second stage of cognitive processing.
In the first stage, the physical features of the stimulus—such as luminance, color, shape, and orientation—are analyzed. This phase allows the figure to be distinguished from the background, without yet assigning meaning to the perceived object.
The second stage occurs when the perceived shape is compared with memory. It is at this stage that the object is recognized as familiar, engaging attention, memory, language, imagination, and consciousness.
A clear example is Bev Doolittle’s Pintos: at first, only indistinct patches are perceived, but when the horses become recognizable, the perception of the image changes dramatically. As Mecacci observes (2001, p.123), “this ‘knowing’ that we are perceiving something involves another very complex mental process called consciousness: we are aware of perceiving, remembering, and needing to pay attention.”

Bottom-Up and Top-Down Processing

Visual recognition also relies on two complementary modes: bottom-up and top-down processing.
Bottom-up processing starts from sensory data, analyzing individual elements of the stimulus. It dominates when an object is new, ambiguous, or unexpected. For example, you might first notice a buzzing near your ear and then a small moving object, allowing you to recognize a fly.
Top-down processing, on the other hand, relies on knowledge, expectations, and pre-existing mental representations. A common example is moving around your house at night without turning on the lights, navigating based on your knowledge of the objects’ arrangement.
The balance between these modes depends on the familiarity of the object and the context. Familiar objects or those consistent with the environment favor top-down processing, while unusual objects require more careful analysis of sensory data.

Feature Integration Theory

According to Anne Treisman, visual perception occurs in two stages: the first automatically detects elementary features such as color, shape, orientation, and movement; the second integrates these features through attention, forming a coherent whole—the object as we perceive it.
Perception is therefore an active process, with attention playing a central role in making sense of visual information. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for analyzing how objects are perceived, interpreted, and used.

Sources:
• Gibson, J. J. (1979). The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception. Houghton Mifflin.
• Mecacci, L. (2001). Manual of General Psychology. Giunti.
• Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (n.d.). Perception. Encyclopaedia Britannica.
• Neuroscienze.net. (n.d.). Visual Perception and Design.
• Santagostino Magazine. (n.d.). Selective Attention.

To better understand how objects communicate, I found it particularly useful to apply to design the five axioms of communication formulated by Paul Watzlawick. Originally developed to describe human communication, these principles can also be interpreted in a design context, offering an interesting perspective on how objects relate to the people who use them.

1. It is impossible not to communicate

The first axiom states that it is impossible not to communicate: even silence or the absence of action is a form of communication. The same applies to objects.
Every object communicates something, even when it is not being used. An empty chair, a switched-off lamp, or a smartphone left on a table still convey information: about the context, intended use, user, or situation. In design, no object is neutral: shape, material, and presence always communicate, even unintentionally.

2. Every communication has a content and a relationship aspect

According to Watzlawick, every communication conveys content but also defines a relationship. Applied to objects, the content concerns the primary function: a chair is for sitting, a handle is for opening a door.
The relationship, on the other hand, relates to how the object “positions itself” toward the user. A rigid, minimal chair communicates a different relationship than a soft, enveloping chair. Through design, the object suggests how it wants to be used and what kind of experience it offers, establishing an implicit relationship with the body and the user.

3. The nature of a relationship depends on the punctuation of communication sequences

This axiom highlights how the meaning of communication depends on how the sequence of exchanges is interpreted. In the case of objects, communication is never one-way: the user interacts with the object, and the object responds through use, repeating this interaction over time.
A poorly designed object can generate frustration, which in turn affects how the user uses or perceives it. Conversely, an intuitive and coherent object strengthens a positive relationship. The meaning of an object is therefore built over time, through repeated use and experience.

4. Communication can be digital or analog

Watzlawick distinguishes between digital communication (verbal, codified) and analog communication (non-verbal, visual, sensory). Objects communicate primarily in an analog way: through shape, color, weight, materials, and proportions.
An object does not “explain” in words how it should be used, but suggests it visually and physically. The most effective instructions are often implicit in the design itself. In this sense, visual design becomes a fundamental language to guide the user without the need for text.

5. Communication exchanges are symmetrical or complementary

The last axiom concerns the type of relationship between participants in communication. Applied to objects, we can ask: does the object leave freedom to the user, or does it impose a precise behavior?
Some objects establish a complementary relationship, strongly guiding action (think of a turnstile or a safety device). Others establish a more symmetrical relationship, leaving room for interpretation and personalized use. This design choice profoundly influences the user experience and how the object is perceived.

Applying Watzlawick’s five axioms to objects allows us to read design as a communication system, where every product actively participates in creating meanings and relationships. Objects do not just “function”; they communicate, respond, influence behaviors, and help define our relationship with the everyday world.

This perspective reinforces the idea that communication design is not limited to visual or graphic elements but extends to product design and the objects that inhabit our daily lives.

Sources
• Watzlawick, P., Beavin, J. H., & Jackson, D. D. (1967). Pragmatics of Human Communication: A Study of Interactional Patterns, Pathologies, and Paradoxes. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Norman, D. A. (2013). The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition. Basic Books.

The objects we use every day are never simply functional tools. Even when they seem banal or invisible, they communicate something: they tell us who we are, the historical period we live in, the cultural context we inhabit, and the way we relate to the world. In communication design, this symbolic and relational dimension of objects is central.

Every object carries a message, but this message is not always immediate or unambiguous. Some meanings are explicit and easily recognizable, while others are more hidden and emerge only through use, experience, or the personal connection formed with the object. In this sense, the communication of objects can be both objective, linked to precise design choices, and subjective, shaped by the user based on their own history and experiences.

An object can communicate through multiple elements: its form, material, color, weight, and texture, but also through less obvious aspects such as sound, smell, or the way it is handled and used. External elements, like packaging, graphics, fonts, or the way a product is presented and advertised, also contribute to shaping its meaning.

The meanings we attribute to objects can vary widely. They can be symbolic, when an object represents a shared idea or value; affective, when it is connected to memories, comfort, or a sense of security; cultural or historical, when it refers to a tradition, era, or specific context; or psychological, when it responds to deeper needs, such as the desire for control, stability, or belonging. In other cases, meaning may be primarily functional, related to the practical and immediate use of the object.

These levels of meaning are never completely separate but coexist and overlap. The same object can be interpreted very differently by different people, or its meaning may change over time depending on context or social transformations. An object designed with a specific function can, over time, acquire new symbolic or affective values, becoming a true container of experiences.

In this process, visual communication and marketing also play a fundamental role. Advertising, branding, and the way a product is presented strongly influence how we perceive it, shaping desires, expectations, and interpretations. Objects therefore communicate not only through what they are but also through the way they are displayed and narrated.

Objects thus become a reflection of the society in which they are designed and used. Through them, we can read social, economic, and cultural changes, as well as trends, dominant values, and collective anxieties. They are not simply “things,” but fragments of daily life that carry stories, memories, dreams, and meanings.

This perspective allows us to observe objects not only as design products but as true communicative devices, capable of establishing relationships between individuals, contexts, and cultures. It is precisely from this awareness that the need arises to analyze their language, to understand how and why objects can speak about us—often more than we imagine.

The theme I chose for this research concerns the communication of objects, that is, the way products convey meanings, values, and messages through their form, function, materials, and context of use. This communication is not only design-driven but also personal and subjective: each individual interprets objects based on their own experience.
Every product, in fact, functions as a medium: it establishes a relationship between designer, user, and context, and communicates even when we are not consciously aware of it.

I was struck by a phrase from the Italian designer Bruno Munari, who provocatively stated that there are “more chairs than butts in the world.” The statement is ironic and almost trivial, yet at the same time extremely insightful. The chair is probably one of the most designed objects in the history of design, particularly in product design, and over time it has become a true icon.

This abundance of chairs also says a lot about our society: a society that is increasingly sedentary, in which the body and posture are deeply influenced by work rhythms, technology, and lifestyles. Humans evolve, and along with them, the context, society, and the objects that surround us evolve as well.

In the past, for example, computers did not exist, and it was therefore unnecessary to design ergonomic chairs specifically for office work or gaming. Similarly, just a few decades ago, the available materials and industrial processes were very different from those today. We now live in a historical phase strongly marked by new technologies and an increasing attention to sustainability—factors that directly influence object design.

It is not just technology that has increased, but above all, our needs have changed. These conditions have pushed us to continuously redesign even a seemingly simple and everyday element like the chair. Discover a new material? Chairs are designed to experiment with it. Change habits? New solutions are developed to improve comfort, posture, and user experience.

Returning to Munari’s idea, it is true that there are more chairs than butts, but it is often forgotten that butts are mobile, while chairs are not. A single individual uses different chairs throughout the day, depending on the context and activity: work, study, relaxation, socializing. In this sense, every chair must somehow “attract” the body, welcome it, and communicate its function and value.

All of this has led me to reflect on how much objects say about us, our society, our habits, and our passions. This research has taken on an even more personal dimension since my move to a new city, a moment that made me observe more attentively the objects around me and how they influence my daily life.

Objects are not just functional tools; they are elements that communicate constantly, even when we are unaware of it. This awareness is the foundation of my decision to investigate the communication of objects: to understand how design, through seemingly silent forms, actually succeeds in creating relationships, meanings, and narratives.