Rant on the Everyday Norms

In reading Margaret Crawford's, I have started to wonder how one can design for the "Everyday" operations. " Everyday" can be thought of in terms of the actions of the lived experience shared by urban residents. Which boils down to the notions of commuting, working, relaxing, moving through city streets and sidewalks, shopping, buying and eating food, and running errands.

The thing that comes to my head about this entire notion of "Everyday" is that, we have to design around the habits and a set way of life. By no means am I pitching the solution to this madness that society has evolved into but why not give it a try....

Growing up I was a big fan of the Jetsons. Once you met George Jetson (Opening theme inserted here) and watched him go through his morning space commute, you quickly realize he is a poor guy trapped in everyday life. Machines basically carry out the everyday functions needed in a modern life. Astro is walked on a treadmill outside of the floating house, Jane Jetson lets Rosie the Robot do EVERYTHING in the household, Elroy flies around in a bubble taking him gosh knows where, and Judy is a diva (She is what she is at this point). George watches his life pass him by and goes through these everyday actions.

 

Society has taught itself that this is the destined future for all of us. Making the everyday functions become so automatic we don't have to think about them or even become concerned by these actions. Everything at a push of a button. While I truly love this Hanna-Barbera classic, I truly hope society doesn't end up in this way. There needs to be a way to regress from our norms.

In order to make a change to the "Everyday", I believe we need to purposely break our habits and go outside our norms of everyday life. Simple ways to break the norms could be by changing the route taken to work/school, being willing to eat something exotic to our taste preferences, or if possible a change of work location could break these dull habits. Even if it is stepping outside to experience the world outside of our homes and buildings. This way we are experiencing new sights and sounds around the areas in which we live. Being willing to bend our norms might be the way to break this notion of the everyday. We are missing out of creating new experiences, which to me is the worst component of the "Everyday".  

                                 As the story goes, be willing to take the road less traveled.....