Page 214 - Design meets Business:An Ethnographic Study of the Changing Work and Occupations of Creatives
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                202 Design Meets Business
under tight deadlines. This reaching out to the physical can be interpreted in the light of two developments in society that are interrelated: the rise of digital work (Yoo et al. 2010; Barley & Bechky 2017) and the cry for ‘authen- ticity’ in today’s society (Cattani et al. 2017; Beverland 2005).
On the one hand, in digital work, practitioners lack the ability to have true sensory engagement. For example, while digital artists can design a virtual environment of infinite size and color, they cannot touch the object they create (Crawford 2009). The introduction of digital technologies is changing professions that previously heavily relied on physical tools and manual labor. For example, due to the introduction of the Da Vinci Robot, surgeons now do not directly operate their patients but do the opera- tion through control joysticks at a console away from the operating table (Sergeeva, Huysman & Faraj 2015).
On the other hand, ‘authenticity’ is increasingly appreciated. Early studies of taste and consumption already pointed to the function of authen- ticity and for example the appropriation of ‘unique artifacts’ as they can help people to socially distinguish themselves by signaling class member- ship (Bourdieu 1984), express cultural categories and promote lifestyles (Appadurai, 1986). This is also reflected in today’s society in which most products are mass-produced and not considered as unique. For example, artisanal beer breweries distinguish themselves from mass-produced beer by global brands like Heineken by emphasizing their commitment to tradi- tion, skill and attention, and consumers often consider their products to be more unique and worth spending more money on. Beverland (2005) explained this by writing that “traditional handcrafted methods and intui- tive expertise help create a powerful image of commitment to past tradi- tions” (Beverland, 2005, p. 1023). Similarly, Carrol and Wheaton (2009: 268) show that craftsmanship is important in haute cuisine, suggesting that “the knowledge, skills and techniques of the chefs and other staff are beyond the normal person’s reach, requiring special training and apprenti- ceships and a range of specialized experiences.”
In this dissertation, it is argued that designers hold onto to materiality and craft. Partly because of the popularity of digital work and the cry for authenticity in today’s society, it is interesting to further explore the role of craftsmanship, a (re)turn to manual and highly skilled labor. Scholars have argued that indeed, there is a considerable “appeal for tangible work that is straightforwardly useful”, and especially so in work that is either completely digital or largely digital (Crawford 2009: 135). While this line of reasoning is promising, it requires further research to theorize whether indeed there is a turn to the physical in work and organizing that is strongly digitally mediated.






























































































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