Objects as evidence
Objects become evidence when their materials and context are recorded.
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From the edition
Objects become evidence when their materials and context are recorded.Objects as evidence
Culture
Looking closer
- Objects as evidence
Everyday objects can document how people solved a recurring problem. Study wear, construction and labels before attributing a design intention.
- Typography in time
Typography changes with available tools and reading habits. Compare specimens from similar periods to avoid turning one unusual example into a trend.
- Material samples
Material samples make differences in weight, texture and finish tangible. Label each specimen clearly and describe how it was produced.
- A small catalogue
A small catalogue should connect objects with dates, creators where known and source records. Mark uncertainty rather than inventing complete provenance.
In this issue
Stories
An independent exhibition-style site about design history, objects and ways of seeing
Typography in time
Typography reveals the tools and conventions of its period.
Discover moreMaterial samples
Samples are more useful when their properties are clearly labeled.
Discover moreA small catalogue
A small catalogue needs consistent terms before beautiful typography.
Discover moreAbout
An independent exhibition-style site about design history, objects and ways of seeing. This issue explores Objects as evidence and Typography in time.
Discover moreStart here: A label for an everyday design object
Museum-style text should help readers see material and function without inventing a designer, date or provenance.
Choose an object you own and record observable details: materials, dimensions, joints and signs of wear.
Write an eighty-word label that separates the visible features from claims requiring catalog research.
What to notice: Object: Visible material and construction described.; Source: Every historical claim has a citation.; Unknowns: Missing attribution is explicit.