ABSTRACT
In Chapter 1, the aesthetic category of The Pleasure of the Familiar is introduced and examined. This category is based on the philosophical concept of the beautiful, which is historically linked to shape and proportional harmony. Hence, when designing with the inherent goal of providing the receiver with the Pleasure of the Familiar, one should accommodate the human need for structure and balance and adhere to what could be called the universal aesthetic principles. Furthermore, Chapter 1 presents a distinction between what it means to decode and, conversely, to detect an object. Decoding an object involves the connotations or added meaning of an object, whereas detection is connected to a phenomenological, rather than symbolic, approach to understanding the world and the objects of our surroundings. The Pleasure of the Familiar involves easily decodable or detectable design experiences. It is an aesthetic experience characterized by affirmation and homeliness.
