Canonical · Design & Engineering · Model

Affordances

James J. Gibson · 1966

"Objects and environments don't just have properties — they signal what can be done with them, and that signal is what actually guides behavior, not conscious analysis of physical properties."

The idea

Gibson's 1966 idea reframed perception itself: you don't see a chair and deduce you can sit on it — the 'sit-ability' is part of what you perceive directly. He called this an affordance.

Why it works

The takeaway — recall it first

Form Follows Function

"A structure's shape should be dictated by what it needs to do, not by decorative tradition — form is a consequence of function, not a separate choice."

Louis Sullivan · EssayContinue→