Categories vs narratives
Taxidermists get told how their job must be fascinating and then people quickly change the subject.
It's easier for people when things fall under simple categories.
That person's job sounds different, I'll keep my distance. This car is cool, those are basic. That's an action movie, that's a drama. My coffee maker's slow, 1 star on Amazon. This product's good, that one's bad.
When something is objective, true or false is useful. Most other times we label things emotionally with maybe half a thought.
Moving away from a few simple labels forces us to confront narratives. User mapping is useful in understanding how to curate designs for people. Products have evolved over time for specific reasons. Industrial Design is more than a focus on pure function, it's about the narratives that shape user experiences.
The more we learn and consider, the closer we get to understanding products or people or anything.
