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1. Overview

Wiki MarkupThe Semantic Turn is an attempt to explain and introduce a paradigm shift, a new way of understanding design as a whole, and especially as a science. It builds upon the various chapters in design history and introduces a new way of thinking about design. Coining one way of putting it “Design is making sense of things”. \ [Krippendorff(1969)\].

The emphasis is on understanding how artifacts, be it graphic, informational or social, are attributed with meaning by the stakeholders involved. It also provides a clear distinction about the meaning of use, in such a way that humans do not react or function on the basis of the physical qualities of things, but rather with the meanings attached to the things by culture, use and context.

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Anyhow, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in real design of services or interfaces in the modern age. It provides an excellent basis for semantic design, and I think I'll come back and read the book with thought later on again.