From the instrumental function to the communicative function of artifacts

Abstract

This article explores the identification and analysis of the possible functions, or the instrumental, utilitarian, meaningful, communicative, aesthetic and symbolic, values, from which objects and artifacts are represented, interpreted and renewed, in the context of technological innovation and the prevailing consumer society. The analysis intends to take a safe distance from the strictly teleological, utilitarian, and instrumentalist approaches.Key words: Artifact, Meaning, Communication, Instrumental Function, Aesthetic Function, Symbolic Function, Product Language.

Keywords

• Artifact
• Significance
• Communication
• Instrumental Function
• Aesthetic Function
• Symbolic Function
• Product Language