The importance of form.

Posted 09.21.07 by Adrian Ho

A couple of years ago I had a revelation. This article on the Tarahumara, a tribe of indigenous Mexicans whose society is based on running, convinced me to change my running style and I saw amazing improvements in speed and distance as a result. In swimming, Total Immersion is a corresponding theory that has its fair share of converts.

The link between these is the focus on form.

We take it for granted that form is important in athletics, but we don’t often discuss form in communications. However, a basic principle of interaction design is that structure is more important than content. We also know that around 93% of communication is non-verbal. I’d guess that well over 90% of the effort expended in agencies is devoted to content NOT to form.

As I’ve started thinking about this I’ve realised I don’t really have a clue about structure in communications. I don’t think I’m unique either. I spent 16 years at pretty good agencies working with very smart people and it was never really discussed.

I think it’s interesting that Wikipedia has this to say on Communications Theory

Currently, there is no paradigm from which communication scholars may work. One of the issues facing scholars is the possibility that establishing a communication metatheory will negate their research and stifle the broad body of knowledge in which communication functions.

Anyone out there have any good resources?

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Mark Earls

Great post, A

Just a thought. Watzlawick and co: “Pragmatics of human communication” is a really good primer for the theory. Doing stuff to engender a behavioural response is the trick…

The thing I’ve found is that it’s much harder to find unique consumer responses (defined as we usually thoughts rather than deeds) because these come after the behaviour you’re looking to generate not before…

Also, if you acknowledge that it’s a complex system you’re trying to shape, then the individual’s idiosyncratic response is less important, interesting or even relevant….this is hard to give up

And, as you say, most agencies and agency folk are caught up in the specifics of another frame (we keep backsliding to what we know…)
Adrian

Ha! Thought I should have asked over at your place. I will check that out. I completely agree with your point on response. I think we’re making a mistake in trying to pre-determine interpretation. We’re lucky if we can incite behaviour. I think we ought to focus more on the meaning we build into our interactions rather than obsessing over what people take away as that will always be unique to each person.
El Gaffney

Noting your use of 3 Wikipedia references to make the point of this post, I’m having some premature thoughts about Wiki as the ultimate form. Jelly has used it as a way to sign up for casual coworking sessions for example – think this type of building-on-collaboration may be good and natural form for agencies (was it eric from method that talked of his company’s wiki wall? – just making this connection).

and when i come back to mn, i challenge you to a race around lake calhoun in our nike free’s.
Adrian

Wikipedia is a great example of form versus content. While we all know that the content can’t always be trusted, we give it leeway because of the form.

I’ll race you, but I think I get a minute head start for every year older I am than you.

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