Skeumorphs Ā in Economics (?)Ā and at home:
I really had to think about this concept as applied to Economics. Perhaps one can think of this in terms of representations commonly used in conveying traditional economic concepts such as tradeoffs and opportunity cost (the cost of making one choice over another necessitates sacrificing increasingly more of the other because different labor and capital resources are used). For instance, tradeoffs in terms of resource use is often expressed in terms of the choice between āgunsā or ābutter,ā which are used to represent the choice between more or less defense spending vs. more or less spending on social or health or educational services. Neither of course is āgunsā or ābutter.ā Ā Of course, some defense spending may technically in part mean āgunsā, but obviously this choice is far more complex.
Economists have also often used the āwidgetsā and āgadgetsā analogy to represent the concept of making choices about various combinations of products than can be produced with a given amount or type of resources. I suppose we all purchase new “gadgets” at times, but it can be argued that these are something entirely different.
Some possible examples from around the house: Some are old objects whose original purpose has been transformed and repurposed, but also serve that ādecorativeā function (not so sure about this one); others – new objects that have been designed to appear as though they were ādiscoveredā old objects; and then – those with features that are intentionally designed to replicate some earlier form of authenticity, but simply serve a decorative function.
Skeumorphs found at home:
Old oil lamp – now a lamp base
“Old” hardware on new file cabinets
New vase with intentional flaws
Handmade vase crafted to look old
Hope Iām getting some of this right:
a) fake lace-up ābovverā boots (but who has the time to lace and unlace them, however cool they look?!) with zippers on the side
b) same deal with corsets/bustiersāseemingly endless stays down the middle but concealed zippers down the side or even elasticated fabric that permits the wearer simply to wriggle in and out of the garment
c) fake/fixed buckles on ladiesā handbags, with magnets that do the job instead
d) fake electric āflamesā in purely electric candelabra (sp?)
e) a grate on an electric fire?
f) fake triangular ācornersā ( as were used in old photo albums to hold photos in position on construction paper pages) in online displays of photos
g) a lid on an electric kettle thatās fused in position, the spout the only place to fill water
h) Salt and pepper shakers with fused āscrew-topsā. The way to fill them is via an opening underneath thatās sealed with a plastic cap.
Am not trying to provoke a discussion of the distinction between a thing and an object here, truly, as Iām not versed in such matters, but does a skeuomorph have to be a three dimensional object or just an irrelevant, āfunctionlessā phenomenon in some dimension, including sound? If the latter, loads of ānostalgiaā effects come to mind :
a) perhaps the āclickā of a snapshot taken on an iPhone? This used to be not so much functional as the sound that attended the internal action of mirrors, etc., in cameras, so perhaps it doesnāt quite make the cut.
b) the sound of rotary dialing when you use a push button keypad. Again, the sound itself didnāt serve a function but attended a purposeful operation.
Perhaps Iām on the wrong trackā¦
Then thereās that bizarre old style phone, replete with lift-off receiver in a cradle, etc. only your iPhone gets stuck into the whole affair to make it work. You do lift the receiver to talk and listen, but I really do think Iām straying further and further off targetā¦.
Determined to assist elect a black President and turn the United States into one large mitochondria. His father, Nickolas, was a construction employee who struggled financially. And the great thing about it is they’re truly accessible.
(Press release). International Rugby Board. 8 September 2011. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011
Thanksgiving is on the whole the first day of the new year. On this day, Americans are thankful for having an opportunity to celebrate the birth of the nation, as well as the abundant harvest that was produced by the people of America During thanksgiving holiday, shoppers go from one place to another to shop. Some shops remain open until the early hours of thanksgiving day while others stay open until eventually midnight. Large malls also participate in black Friday promotions, proposing their buyers with amazing shopping deals.