MIND THE GAP. Learning Nodes on Objects, Subjects, and Design Processes in the Cultural of Social Distancing

Through the analysis of case studies taken from the world of objects, subjects, and design processes, the present contribution intends to propose some reflections on how "distance" can become a new field of educational experimentation in design. The ergonomics and proxemics of distance call for a new design focus, inviting us to reflect on the threshold effect that objects can produce, on the semantic values of the objects used "for distance" and "in the distance", on the new behaviors, gestures, and rituals of the subjects/users/consumers as the culture of proximity disappears. The pretext is given by the recent Covid-19 pandemic that imposed severe distancing measures.