The Meaning of Affinity
and the Importance of Identity
in the Designed World
Matthew Jordan

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[ 1] The physical world
as we know it can be
sorted into two camps:
that which occurs
naturally and that
which is artificial or
man-made. Everything
in the second camp
has been in some
way, to some degree,
designed. This camp
can be considered
“the designed world.”
[ 2] Affinity Merriam-
Webster Online
Dictionary. 2010.
Merriam-Webster
Online. 19 April 2010
http://www.merriam-
webster.com/diction-
ary/affinity/
[ 3] In the simplest
terms, usefulness can
be defined as why
we seek a product
or service and how it
helps us accomplish
our goals and objec-
tives; usability means
we are able to use a
product or service to
an effective end, as it
was intended.

When a designer is thinking
about ways to create experienc-
es that deliver meaningful and
lasting connections to users, it is
helpful to consider the notion of
our personal affinities and how
they affect perception, adoption,
and use in the designed world
[ 1]. The term “affinity,” when
illuminated by definitions from
chemistry and biology, gives us
a deeper understanding of the
form and importance of these
connections people have to
products and services. An explo-
ration of what affinity means
can lead us to consider new and
useful ways of informing design
thinking and ultimately help us
design with more success.

September + October 2010

interactions
[ 4] Philosophers and
writers who have
explored the notion
of beauty include
Confucius, Socrates,
Plato, Aristotle,
William Shakespeare,
John Keats, Immanuel
Kant, and Wallace
Stevens (to name just
a few).

the Meaning of “Affinity”

In chemistry and biology, affinity has two separate but equally interesting definitions that are both useful when considering how we approach research and design as practitioners.

1. The first definition of
affinity, from chemistry, is “an
attractive force between sub-
stances or particles that causes
them to enter into and remain
in combination.” [ 2] The most
interesting part of that defini-
tion is the notion of a force, or
attraction, between elements.
Similarly, in the designed
world, we are often drawn to a
certain design with a natural
attraction simply because of
its aesthetics and beauty. An
inexplicable gravity pulls us
toward some designs and cre-
ates a true elemental bond.

the importance of identity

Before we look at how to effectively research and design with affinities in mind, let’s first explore the notion of identity and discuss why affinity is challenging to incorporate into a design initiative. The role of beauty as a factor in design success needs little exploration; the world’s greatest philosophers and writers, from both the East and the West, have given the notion a deep history of thought and attention, [ 4] and the principles and mechanisms of aesthetics like balance, tension, and contrast are well known.

The notion of identity and how it relates to affinities, however, is worth some additional exploration. Identity may be best explored in terms of the self-image we all have, and we can

Photograph by Thomas Hofer