Vitruvius’ famous treatise to address the ethos of buildings, “De architectura”, declared that the three principles for good architecture were a combination of utility (utilitas), strength (firmitas), and beauty (venustas).
However, there is a less static aspect in design (not only architectural) that is central to creating a positive perception of it: its emotional effect and its capacity for pleasure.
Pleasure gets a bad press, frequently portrayed as “too much” of something, hence the existence of “guilty pleasures”. But pleasure by definition represents “a source of delight or joy”, and there are many situations where we could use more of that, no matter how small.
The interactions and relationships between us, the environment and experiences we are surrounded with, can be intentional facilitators of pleasure for our bodies and minds if we design for it.
Photography: Franck Courtes
What would happen if we radically prioritized our own wellbeing and fed this vessel of senses that we are? What would happen even to our minds if our bodies were fed more fundamentally and given its deepest pleasures.
We underestimate humans when we assume they respond to punishment over desire. I think punishment can bring temporary behavior change. But punishment ultimately shrinks us, whereas desire, especially desire for those things that feed us, expands us, and we continue to grow in it.
House of Beautiful Business - “The Language of Pleasure” Living Room Session (2020)
But how can we begin to dimension something so abstract as pleasure?
A way of classifying different types of pleasure has been proposed by Canadian anthropologist Lionel Tiger. Tiger has made an extensive study of pleasure and has developed a framework for addressing it, where he outlines four conceptually distinct types of pleasure –social, physical, psychological, and ideological. [1]
Socio-pleasure:
The enjoyment that comes from relationships with others. Products and services may help to enhance or facilitate particular social interactions, or they may confer some kind of social or cultural status.
Designing social interaction includes creating common interests and activities, triggering conversations, and giving people a reason to come together.
Spaces for gathering. Burano, Italy. Photography: Chiara Dalla Rosa
Physio-pleasure:
This has to do with the body – pleasures derived from the senses. Physio-pleasure would cover, for example, tactile and olfactory properties as well as ergonomic issues.
Touching a silk scarf
Ideo-pleasure:
This type of pleasure is related to values and beliefs. It is important that the values embodied in products, spaces, and experiences are consistent with the values of those for whom they have been designed.
If we look at Maslow's Hierarchy, idealism tends to be higher up the scale and may either be a form of self-actualization or a requirement by a group in order to belong.
Reporters without Borders built a library inside Minecraft to fight for freedom of press, and give countries across the world access to banned articles.
Psycho-pleasure:
This type of pleasure is derived from cognition, discovery, knowledge, and experiences that satisfy the intellect, which could be promoted through design experiences that celebrate progression and achievement.
Reading. Photography: @yosigo_yosigo
These may or may not be a starting point for your next design. But keep them in mind, because pleasure is deeply linked to our desires and actions.
It gives us energy and fuels our insides.
And maybe we can design chains of pleasurable experiences in unexpected places, and create upward spirals.
References:
Tiger, Lion. (1992) The Pursuit of Pleasure.
Fetter, Ingrid. (2021) The Power of Upward Spirals
