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SENSE
LESS
The Loss of Tactile Culture By Flora Cruells Benzal
CONTENTS 01 02 03 04
Knowledge
6
Nostalgia
13
Peril
21
Change
31
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sense of touch /tuhch/ Verb. Noun.
The faculty by which external objects or forces are perceived through contact with the body, especially the hands or fingers. To cause or permit a part of the body to come in contact with so as to feel.
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KNOWLEDGE
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do you know what makes up our sense of touch? Knowledge 9
29 bones 29 joints 123 ligaments 34 muscles 48 nerves 30 arteries
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perception
Our sense of touch profoundly affects how we view the world and other people, influencing thoughts and behavior. Investigators and researchers at Yale, Harvard, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report that textures, shapes, and weights can influence judgments and decisions. Researcher John A. Bargh, PhD, of Yale, states “The old concepts of mind-body dualism are turning out not to be true at all. Our minds are deeply and organically linked to our bodies.” He says physical experiences “not only shape the foundation of our thoughts and perceptions, but influence our behavior toward others and the world around us. Touch remains perhaps the most underappreciated sense in behavioral research.” He also states that the experiments they have been conducting in the field of tactility suggest that “greetings involving the sense of touch, such as handshakes and cheek kisses, may in fact have critical influences on our social interactions in an unconscious fashion.” The link between physical sensations and behavior appears to hold even when the person passively touches an object demonstrating the importance of touch and physical signals that are outside of our conscious awareness.
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science
According to a new study, small fingers can sense the textures of tiny objects in greater detail than larger-sized digits. Published in the latest issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, the data suggests that females are better at figuring out the orientation of the smallest grooves and textures — but mainly because they tend to have smaller hands and fingers than men. Females and males with similarly sized fingers and hands showed similar abilities of detection. “We found that the smaller someone’s index finger is, the better sense of touch they have,” said Daniel Goldreich of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. “I expect this study to take the tactile research community by surprise.” Dr. Goldreich believes that one of the secrets to a keen sense of touch comes from tiny skin-deep Merkel cells. These special cells are sparsely scattered all over the body in small groups and are present in greater numbers across touch-sensitive areas such as the fingertips and the lips. Merkel cells are difficult to spot in a human finger. So instead of looking for them directly, Goldreich looked closely at the sweat glands on his research subjects’ fingertips, which are usually found above Merkel cells. He noticed that in larger fingers the sweat glands, and presumably the Merkel cells beneath, were spaced farther apart. Like a digital camera with a higher megapixel resolution, the denser cells of smaller fingertips may really bring out the details in the touching snapshot sent to the brain.
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Do you know that the somatic sensory system is responsible for the human sense of touch?
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“On average, females have a greater sense of touch.” Dr. Daniel Goldreih | McMaster University
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02 a sense of
NOSTALGIA
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do you know what your download’s cover looks like? Nostalgia 19
resurrection
One common trend in many Western countries, regardless of the health of their record music markets, is clear: vinyl is back. This revival for vinyl records “is a mixture of convenience and beauty” says Oliver Goss of Record Pressing, a San Francisco vinyl factory. “Many vinyl records come with codes for downloading the album from the internet, making them more convenient than CDs, and fans like having something large and heavy to hold in their hands.” There is also a sense of melancholy with old vinyl records and the unique experience about going to an independent record shop, something which will never be experienced by the majority of shoppers buying their music online. Customers in independent record shops aren’t always there to just buy the latest chart album and immediately leave, they enjoy the browsing experience. Similarly, the staff aren’t just shop assistants, they’re music lovers too, people you can have a conversation with. Their recommendations aren’t computer generated either, they come from a lifetime’s back catalogue of musical knowledge. This immediately creates a different atmosphere and sense of social interaction compared to that of a high-street chain stores, or online shopping. “Vinyl has a distinction factor, too; it is just cooler than a download,” explains Steve Redmond, a spokesman for Britain’s annual Record Store Day. “People used to buy bootleg CDs and Japanese imports containing music that none of their friends could get hold of. Now that almost every track is available free on music streaming services, music fans need something else to boast about, and that limited-edition 12-inch in translucent blue vinyl will do nicely.”
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“Vinyl has a distinction factor; it is cooler than a download.” Steve Redmond | Britain’s Record Spokesman
Nostalgia 21
Do you know that in the last few years, The Beatles’ Abbey Road has been the top selling vinyl album people keep on buying?
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“Instant access to almost any record has left some of us over-stimulated, endlessly consuming without really digesting what we hear. Many children of the 80’s first owned their music on cassette, so for them the format represents a nostalgia for simpler times.” Mark Hogan | Music Journalist Nostalgia 25
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PERIL
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do you know what is next in line to disappear? Sense Less 29
evolution
The rapid rise and popularity of the ebook format has had a huge impact on the book publishing industry, and clearly has contributed to the demise of some brick-and-mortar booksellers. As the paperless future approaches, certain sorts of publications have inevitably moved into the all-digital realm faster than others. The emergence of digital technology, creates enormous uncertainty among readers, especially those who still thrive with the touch of turning pages. EBooks will hasten the end of what we called long-form reading (book reading), by the majority. It is speculated that eBooks will lead to a vast reduction in traditional publishing, mainly because with eBooks there are no used books to sell, which excludes a major pathway by which readers discover new authors. It’s a fact that the transition to digital devices will mean greater efficiencies and more focus on cost and, overall, a rather less generous publishing industry than before; a rather colder-hearted, fiercer one. The old printing world is fading, however the new world isn’t yet in focus. Paper books may continue to print a as a collector’s item or a special bonus, but the paper book will simply become unfeasible in the long run no matter how sentimental we feel about it.
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“Handwriting; paper; letters: they are drifting from our lives.” Charlotte Higgins | Blogger
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collapsing
“Consumers increasingly like the speed and ever convenience of the so-called “contactless payment,” says David Hoffman, partner with PwC Financial Services. With the arrival of each new technology offering or providing an alternative way to pay for things, cash is being further and further marginalized. If credit cards diminished the use of cash in the 1950s, powerful smart phones and tablets are hastening the death of cash. Both are reshaping the relationship between merchant and customer, and each is edging toward becoming credit card readers and (cash) registers. The new “digital” wallets have turned old fashioned ones into obsolete hunks of useless paper. Coupons, credit cards, bank statements, and all types of payments can be controlled from your smart phone.
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Digitization of print could reduce today’s libraries to musty archives. MIT Tr. Staff | Technology Review Sense Less 37
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CHANGE
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do you know how our sense of touch is changing? Change 41
shopping
Online shopping has changed our lives for good and for the better, but it’s a complement to, rather than a substitute for, the age-old and ubiquitous activity of “going to the shop.” After all shoppers are social creatures. The convenience and depth of the online shopping experience — along with its powerful relevance of social networks — results in more educated shoppers whose research online has an impact on their purchases offline. There are still many products and services with significant “nondigital” attributes that some shoppers believe need sensory inspection (touch, feel, taste, smell), making them relatively difficult to sell online. The sense of touch considers physical and psychological interaction between the customer and the product. Knowing that, some companies are using what is known as sensory branding, a type of marketing that appeals to all the senses in relation to the brand. It uses the senses to relate with customers on an emotional level forging emotional associations in the customers’ minds by appealing to their senses. A multi-sensory brand experience generates certain beliefs, feelings, thoughts and opinions to create a brand image in the consumer’s mind. Touch can be manipulated through materials, weight, softness, and comfort of the product. By appealing to the tactile sense, the brand strengthens not only its identity but also its image. Shopping is a process. For many goods and services it requires information search, as well as evaluation of multiple options, before final selection of the chosen product. The Internet is better suited to some parts of this process than others.
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Once they get an iphone, many people get rid of some other devices.
70% Ipod or mp3 player
55% Camera
40% GPS
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Do you know that according to a study from the Journal of Consumer Research, consumers who touch products in the aisles will pay more money for them than those who keep their hands off the merchandise?
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“Touch is a way to control the unconscious of the consumers, their perceptions, feelings, and tastes.” Cyril Valenti | Halmstad University Change 45
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Today’s consumers are adept at shopping cross-channel, but many still choose to complete their purchase in a store.
76%
smartphone shoppers have made a purchase in-store.
51% people who research purchases online then buy in-store.
33%
the amount spent more on average by consumers that research online first before making a purchase.
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“Consumers are using social networks in a sophisticated way, researching products, prices, promotions and other consumers’ views, to validate their decision making.” David Hogg | IBM Commerce Solution Leader 48 Sense Less
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shift
A study found that while e-mail and text messaging make interpersonal communication easier and faster, they do so at the expense of face-to-face interaction. We are awash in technology. It’s estimated that 93% of Americans now use cell phones or wireless devices. And one-third of those people are using so-called smartphones, which means the users can browse the Web and check e-mail on their phones. We are increasingly diddling with our cell phones to converse with someone, sometimes with someone who may even be in the same room. Perversely, a lot of younger people are growing more comfortable with texting than actually speaking to a living person. Text messaging does not convey the tone of a message either. This often leads to miscommunication, because the receiver may misinterpret a vital, serious message, or even misconstrue the message to mean something entirely different from what the sender originally intended. While some people would point out the benefits of all this technology — staying in touch with friends and family and being able to check in from anywhere, other people agree that it is impersonal and it does not allow a true relationship opportunity to develop. Communication between persons is an experience that takes our whole being, all of our senses. Texting and e-mail take away body language, sight, touch, and the personal experience we need as human beings.
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In today’s virtual world, some of our tactile experiences are disappearing from our lives. With the new and ever so rapidly evolving technologies, there has been a gradual shift on how we purchase or interact with things. Our sense of touch is vanishing from certain realms of our human experience making our tactual world more virtual and less real. 52 Sense Less
What can we do? Sense Less 53
Collector’s Edition Album Covers and Personalized Books
Since we do not purchase much physical music and books these days, my proposal would be to introduce a special collector’s edition of album covers and personalized books. Once the customer purchased their download, they would have the option to add a collector’s edition to their purchase for an extra small cost. This companion piece to their download could take various formats and it could be also signed by the artist, group, illustrator, designer, or author. The collector’s edition could be handmade and have original notes or artwork.
Specialized Sensory Branding Design Firm
A design firm that specialized in sensory branding for companies. Since it has been proven that some companies that use these type of branding not only have success online but it also translates into their brick-and-mortar stores, it would be a very good opportunity to showcase how effective this technique is with other firms. The senses play a very important role in our human experience and a design firm that focused exclusively on those could be an asset for companies that want to be successful online as well as offline.
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Awareness Website
An awareness website would be a reminder of some of the tactile things that we are loosing with the times. Users would be able to post their thoughts and pictures showcasing their feelings on some of these experiences. It would be a way to share and communicate with other users their views on these issues.
Archival Coffee Book
From all the posts and insights from the above mentioned website, an archival coffee table book could be done. It would be a tangible item that people could hold in their hands about the things that they do not touch anymore. The book could be a conversation starter about this topic.
Specialized Sensory Store
A shop or store that catered exclusively to the senses and to people who want to interact with their items before purchasing them. Customers would have the chance to experience shopping through their senses, mostly the tactile sense.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY / ARTICLES Willyard, Cassandra. 24 June, 2010. Sense of Touch Colors Our View of the World. www.news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/06/sense-of-touch-colors-our-view-o.html Hendrick, Bill. 24 June, 2010. Sense of Touch Affects Our World View. www.webmd.com/balance/news/20100624/sense-of-touch-affects-our-world-view Cicero, Shannon. 20 August, 2009. The Sense of Touch. www.health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/information/anatomy/touching.htm Goldreich, Daniel. 16 December, 2009. Small Fingers More Touch Sensitive. www.phys.org/news180120296.html Long, Tony. 28 September, 2006 Ah, the Warmth of Human Contact. www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/theluddite/2006/09/71851 Leonard, Crystal. 14 May, 2009. The Sense of Touch and How It Affects Development. www.serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/4356 Steegenga, Willemijn and Forge, Sally. 05 September, 2011. IBM Study Finds Social Networks Influence More Than Half of Shoppers’ Decision Making. www-03.ibm.com/press/uk/en/pressrelease/35340.wss Bonczyk, Lisa and Mulcahy, Andy. 16 June, 2011. Consumers Increasingly Influenced by Social Networking Sites. www.imrg.org/ImrgWebsite/User/Pages/Press%20Releases-IMRG.aspx?pageID=86&parentPageID=85 &isHomePage=false&isDetailData=true&itemID=5329&pageTemplate=7&specificPageType=5 Cafferty, Jack. 03 January, 2011 Technology Replacing Personal Interactions at What Cost? www.caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/03/technology-replacing-personal-interactions-at-what-cost/ MIT Tr Staff. 01 May, 2005. The Death of Libraries? www.staging.technologyreview.com/article/404030/the-death-of-libraries/ The Economist. 20 August, 2011. Back to Black. http://www.economist.com/node/21526296
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Mark Hogan. 22 February, 2010 This is Not a Mixtape. www.pitchfork.com/features/articles/7764-this-is-not-a-mixtape/ Dan. 23 February, 2011. Record Shops: Necessity or Nostalgia? www.theothersidemag.co.uk/2011/02/record-shops-necessity-or-nostalgia/ Higgins, Charlotte. 23 October 2012. The Lost Art of Letter Writing. www.guardian.co.uk/culture/charlottehigginsblog/2012/oct/23/lost-art-letter-writing Field, Catherine. 3 February, 2011. The Fading Art of Letter Writing. www.nytimes.com/2011/02/04/opinion/04iht-edfield04.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=13509216850yYAsR2H7xynx9QEeon48Q& Neary, Lynn. 28 September, 2012. Put Down Your E-Reader: This Book Is Better In Print. www.npr.org/2012/09/28/161923952/put-down-your-e-reader-this-books-better-in-print Shepherd, Lloyd. 30 August, 2011. The Death of Books has Been Greatly Exaggerated. www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/aug/30/death-books-exaggerated Peterson, Valerie. The Rise of E-Books. www.publishing.about.com/od/Books/a/E-Book-vs-Hardcover-Milestone.htm Nesto, Matt. 7 February, 2012. The Rise of Mobile Banking: Will Cash Become Obsolete? www.finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/rise-mobile-banking-cash-become-obsolete-194228784.html Gerri. 9 August, 2012. 5 Ways Cash is Becoming Obsolete. www.businesspundit.com/5-ways-cash-is-becoming-obsolete/ Ganda, Michael. 29 June, 2012. Sensory Marketing Improves Customer Experience. www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/jun/29/sensory-marketing-improves-customer-experience/ Luedtke, Pehr and Bell, David. 9 July, 2010. Shopping as We Know It Will Disappear. www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2010/07/shopping_as_we_know_it_will_disappear.html
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PHOTO CREDITS 3 www.deviantart.com/morelikethis/49384800
5-6 Flora Cruells Benzal
7 www.simplyolive.blogspot.com/2012_07_01_archive.html
8–9 www.steveorgan.com/projects/
10 www.bryanchristiedesign.com/clients.php?client_id=109 13 www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-brain-parenchyma.htm
14-15 www.gdefon.com/download/background_texture_hands_Brush_FINGERS_ touch/412939/1920x1080
17 www.lachela.com
18 www.cbswjmk.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/awesome-album-covers-david-bowies-aladdin-sane/ 21 www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sun_Records_45s.jpg
22-23 workingmomadventures.com/2011/03/31/bygones/
24 www.erepublik.com/en/article/los-lentos-2132495/1/20 27 www.teachushowtocoupon.com/?p=56
28-29 www.jasminedoan.tumblr.com
31 www.howtoblogabook.com/2012/03/29/publishing-options-for-your-booked-blog/
32–33 www.urbandaisy.wordpress.com/category/historic/
www.thenonconsumeradvocate.com/2009/05/the-write-a-letter-challenge/
34-35 www.sfcitizen.com/blog/2008/03/27/pat-murphys-solution-to-the-olympic-torch-run-issue/ 36-37 www.pdfcast.net/library-catalog.html
39 www.gistusinfo.blogspot.com/2012/03/list-of-computer-keyboad-shortcut-you.html 40 www.news.discovery.com/tech/zooms/robots-aerogel-touch-110308.html
43 www.uoem.com/apple-reinvents-ipod-nano-with-multi-touch-interface/258/
www.extension01.templates-master.com/prozoom/olympus-stylus-750-7-1mp-digital-camera.html www.besteproduct.nl/Mio_C210/prijzen_aanbieding.html#!k=ajax
44-45 www.kinsaccents.com/index.php?cPath=80
46 www.safely.yahoo.com/blogs/expert-advice/5-tips-for-safer-online-shopping.html
48-49 www.bestsocialmediamanager.com
50 www.b-metro.com/what-are-words-for/8254/
54-55 http://www.zanedevon.com/blog/?p=47 56-57 Flora Cruells Benzal
COLOPHON Cover & Book Designer Flora Cruells Benzal
Laser Cut Services Pagoda
Typefaces
Adobe Caslon Pro designed by Carol Twombly Univers designed by Adrian Frutiger
Paper
Epson 4 Star
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