I came across Sottsass’s Yantra series from the late 1960s. I’m inspired by his simple geometric forms which were functional (to some degree) but primarily spiritual objects. He described the design process itself as meditation.
There are several interesting connections to ThoughtCounter:
“The word ‘Yantra’ in Hindi means ‘to control’, referring to cosmic energies harnessed through repetition or mantras”
I’ve been developing yantra patterns (moiré circles, bindu, concentric forms) as a visual language. ThoughtCounter asks people to perform a repetitive action (clicking) to investigate mental activity. The clicker/counter itself could be a yantra object – a tool for focusing attention.
Sottsass “dismissed functionalism as an insufficient drive behind his work, instead seeking for Design to be spiritual and sensual”
This is also aligned with what I’m trying to achieve with my idea. If ThoughtCounter was purely functional, it would just be a counting app. If it was purely spiritual, it might be a guided meditation.
“Sottsass applied this idea to a series of twenty-eight ceramics objects, all based around repetition and basic shapes.”
There could be an opportunity for me to develop ThoughtCounter into a series of visuals that are generated based on the clicks. Or a series of experiments focusing on: Thought counting > Breath counting > Sensation counting.
Key takeaways
The ThoughtCounter clicker can be a yantra object – a small, hand-held simple geometric form, using premium materials. A well-made object for contemplative practice that’s not trying to look tech or spiritual.
The visual system could lean into yantra geometry – the void patterns and moire circles I’ve been developing connect directly to this.
Sottsass shows that it’s not necessary to choose between spiritual and commercial, or between art and product. His yantras were all of these simultaneously.
Source:
https://www.sworder.co.uk/news/the-yantra-series–ettore-sottsass-spiritual-exploration-in-design/