Philosophy movement - Europe - late 1800’s - 1960’s
Focuses on society as a system
Differential relations are the key to understanding culture & society
Focus on material practices as points for analysis

Ferdinand de Saussure 1857-1913

Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure was interested in languages, written and spoken, and he believed that the basic rules of human languages are hard-wired into us, that the structure of language has rules that are for the most part unrecognized by the speaker. Saussure's investigations of language had a lasting effect on many kinds of science, including anthropology and archaeology, as the notion of subconscious (but identifiable) structures in our languages spread to subconcious (but identifiable) structures in our behavior. The so-called structuralist movement in anthropology was led by Claude Levi-Strauss.

David McCandless is a London-based author, writer and designer. He has written for The Guardian, Wired and others. He is an independent data journalist and information designer. He is passionate about passionate about visualizing information – facts, data, ideas, subjects, issues, statistics, questions – all with the minimum of words.
He designs information that can help us understand the world, cut through BS and reveal the hidden connections, patterns and stories underneath.

Casey Reas ongoing Process series explores the relationship between naturally evolved systems and those that are synthetic. The imagery evokes transformation, and visualizes systems in motion and at rest. Equally embracing the qualitative human perception and the quantitative rules that define digital culture, organic form emerges from precise mechanical structures. Reas' software, prints, and installations have been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions at museums and galleries in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Signals (Casey Reas)

Bauhaus Book

The ABCs of [circle, square, triangle]: The Bauhaus and Design Theory. Written and designed by Ellen Lupton and J. Abbott miller

Ellen Lupton is a writer, curator, and graphic designer. She is director of the Graphic Design MFA program at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore, where she also serves as director of the Center for Design Thinking. As curator of contemporary design at Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum since 1992, she has produced numerous exhibitions and books

Example of John Maeda work
NATURE

John Maeda is a graphic designer, computer scientist, academic, and author.
His work in design, technology and leadership explores the area where the fields merge.

Sensory Engagement & The Haptic

In society often our bodies and sences are overlooked and taken for granted. The function of the Brain is seen to be more important. Sensory engagement and the Haptic is about understanding the ralationship between us and our physical world. Recently designers have been returning to a more natural sensory based style of design. It is instictive and including. The Haptic is when all the senses are engaged at the same time.

Remix culture is combining or editing existing marierials to produce a new product. This includes any changes such as the design of the footage, adding effects or adding or the changing the music etc.