The Pocket Universal Methods of Design, Revised and Expanded

004	Artifact Analysis

A systematic examination of the material, aesthetic, and interactive qualities of objects

• Artifact analysis asks what objects say about people and their culture, time, and place rather than focusing on what people say about the products and systems they use.
• Material analysis addresses the quantity, material composition, physical and digital components, durability, wear patterns, and disposability of objects.
• Aesthetic analysis includes subjective assessment of form, color, texture, references to particular eras, time, or place, and emotional significance.
• Interactive aspects of the analysis address the characteristics of operational use and behaviors that the artifact affords: for example, function and complexity. ...