[Sigia-l] "Messy" design, Indian style

[Eric Reiss]

Quite apart from the cultural issues - “American-style malls are
sterile and repetitive” – I think the true value of a bazaar is that
it creates an atmosphere of discovery. Who has ever made a good
shopping discovery in a sterile and repetitive environment? That’s
why people of all cultures flock to their local equivalent of a
bazaar, flea market, boot sale, bargain bin, Loehmann’s Back Room,
etc.

Antiquarian book collectors speak of “sleepers.” These are rare
volumes that have been overlooked (and underpriced) by the shop
owner. If you want to find a sleeper, you have to find a cluttered
shop, plow through the teetering stacks, and probe the mildewed
boxes. It is rare to find a sleeper in a posh antiquarian book shop
where every volume has been perused by several experts, carefully
categorized, and reverently displayed on an appropriate shelf. Dust
is optional.

The Great Bazaar in Cairo is interesting. On one side of the road are
shops specifically created to entice tourists. On the other side of
the road, you’ll find the Egyptians. Both sections are exciting. But
the south side is honest; the north side is an Indiana Jones fantasy.

Today, in our eagerness to promote findability, we have perhaps
neglected serendipity. Not that messy design can effectively recreate
the bustle of a bazaar or the claustrophobia of a junk shop, but we
probably should be thinking about ways to encourage exploration and
discovery as a way to enhance the user experience.

Cheers,
Eric

- - - - - - 
Eric Reiss
Managing Director
FatDUX Copenhagen
www.fatdux.com