French philosopher Roland Barthes in his “Pleasure of the Text” discusses the pleasure of reading. The author delineates two types of text: one that informs, and the other that stimulates the mind and all the senses. In the first, the author relies on communication conventions, aiming to communicate the intended meaning in the most clear way. The reader, in turn, is expected to ‘pick up’ what was ‘put down’ by the author. In the second, the author conversely violates the conventions and explores their own madness and emotions, challenging the reader to go beyond understanding and participate in the meaning-making. The reader, therefore, is not the receiver of meaning, but an active producer of it.

Barthe’s delineation between the two types of texts is relevant to all creative endeavors, not just writing. This distinction reminds us that design can be as much about the author as it is about the audience.

Being a creative practitioner in the tech industry, praised for its obsession with newness and usability, I long for the authenticity, humanity, and critique missing from the technologies we put into the world. When the goal is to provide value through novelty and utility, creative’s role is limited to operating within the known communication patterns, which rarely surprise or challenge. As a consequence, the ultimate goal for the ‘user’ of the designed experience is to merely understand how it works.

My role as a design and art practitioner is broader than providing value through utility. In my work, in addition to providing utility, I aim to elicit a response. I want to challenge conventions, subvert the traditional societal roles, and invite the audience into a universe of its own, where meaning is not to be “picked-up, but is to be created through active participation.