Practice Theory in Industrial Design and Innovation: Materials, Meanings, and Competencies of Electric Wringer-Washers in Turkey from 1950 to the 2000s

Abstract

According to practice theory, practices or “doings” that use designed products play a significant role in shaping daily life. Practice theory considers the workings of the dynamic two-way relationships between social structures and human agency. Accordingly, users’ routinized practices constitute a social structure that is commonly characterized by three elements: materials, such as tangible physical things, artifacts, and infrastructures; competencies, which include the know-how and “doing” of practice; and meanings, which encompass symbolic notions and emotions that are attached to the practices or artifacts. Adopting a practice theory approach, my article focuses on user practices around wringer-washers in Turkey, including materials, uses, meanings, and re-uses in the daily lives of Turkish women and families. Historical case studies of laundry practices with wringer-washers explicitly indicate how and under what circumstances user practices can emerge, endure, evolve, and transform into other practices. Prioritizing the involvement of designers, producers, and users in the coproduction of practice processes, I argue in this article that new designs and design innovations are inextricably linked with the user practices that they engender.