Design Fiction

NONOBJECT // The Book

What happens if we combine the art of fiction with the art of design? The result is “design fiction,” an exploration not of the object, but of the imaginary space between the person and the object. We call it NONOBJECT. Branko Lukic is the originator and creator of the NONOBJECT design philosophy and Design Fiction concept that he officially started in ealry 2006. He has been Senior Designer at frogdesign and design leader at IDEO, and in spring of 2006, Branko started his own design practice, NONOBJECT Studio, in Palo Alto, California. He has directed projects for international clients including Nike, Adidas, Samsung, Intel, Motorola, SAP, HP, Pepsi, Starbucks, Ford, Steelcase, Nestle and others. Branko won his first design contract at the age of 18 in his native Belgrade, Serbia. And, since then, he has created work in a wide variety of areas including industrial and product design, branding, sustainable design, graphic communication, digital media, and conceptual design. He holds many patents and has won numerous national and international awards in the field of design and branding including Business Week IDEA Gold Award, Graphis Design Annual Award, International Design magazine Awards, Red Dot Awards, Good Design Award and others. Branko Lukic has lectured at universities, conferences, and design exhibitions around the world.

What is the book about?
It is a book of "design fictions." By deliberately creating objects that cannot exist -- because the
material is not yet available, or the business plan, or the manufacturing process, or the infra-
structure to support it, or even the human sensibility -- it becomes possible to explore the meaning
of design at a more profound level and to think more richly about what is and what might be.

What are its main themes and objectives?
The principal objective of the book is to stimulate thought: What is an object? Why do we desire
what we desire? Why has "functionality" been defined in such a historically narrow way? What is
beauty? Nonobject is an attempt to free the imagination by disengaging it form the constraints of
utility, economy and technology.

Who is the book aimed at?
The book is aimed at designers, architects and the people involved in creating experiences who will
appreciate the extraordinary subtlety and elegance of the "non-objects" depicted, but also at the
growing audience of readers who have become interested in design. The rapid growth of the "design
literate" public is one of the more remarkable trends of recent years, and on both visual and con-
ceptual grounds the book has the potential to engage a very large audience.

How will it differ from existing books of its type?
It bears no resemblance to anything currently in existence. There are various books that depict
futuristic objects, movie sets, concept cars, etc., but Nonobject is of an entirely different charac-
ter. Likewise, we are aware of numerous "gag" books containing pictures of silly, inefficient, un-
workable or simply unsuccessful products (Kenji Kawakami's "101 Unuseless Japanese Inventions"
is among the more amusing of this genre). Nonobject, by contrast, is a very serious book, con-
ceived and executed with uncompromising craft and informed by a deep design sensibility.

nonobject is an exploration of the future of consumer experiences through design. It offers a new way of
thinking about design and innovation - a way which embraces the space between you and the object.

Athor: Branko Lukic more info | Text and essay : Barry Katz more info | foreword: Bill Moggridge more info
Book release date: TBA
For more information or if you would like to join our mailing list, please email to: info@nonobjectbook.com or visit our contact page

Upcoming events:

- Business Dialog Series, Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, January 2009 // Design Fiction : Design Innovation

- DesignPack Gallery, Paris, France, 26 January to 28 February // featuring NONOBJECT design

- Supermarket gallery Belgrade, Serbia, EU, February/March 2009 // NONOBJECT Design Fiction Exhibition

- Stanford University, Continuing Studies Program, Design and History of Design, Spring 2009 // NONOBJECT Designing innovation

- Umeå Institute of Design - Sweden / Summer 2009 // NONOBJECT Design Innovation workshop

- Belgrade Design Week 2009, 25-31 of May, Belgrade, Serbia // Speed

- O3ON Art Gallery, May 25-31 of May, Belgrade, Serbia // Design Fiction and Innovation beyond physical boundaries

- Design Conclave 2009 Conference, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce - Mumbai, India, September 2009 // NONOBJECT Designing Innovation

- Stanford symposium 2009: The Ecosystem of Design, October 26 // NONOBJECT, The Designer as Visionary

Conferences + articles:

NONOBJECT at CONNECTING'07 World Design Congress IDSA + ISCID

WIRED Magazine interview with Branko Lukic

NONOBJECT in BusinessWeek Article "Making Connecions by Design"

Adobe Design Center, Allan Chochinov (founder Core77) article : The importance of fictional products

Business Week magazine, Helen Walters article on nUCLEUS: A truly alternative motorcycle design

California Home and Design magazine and 7x7 San Francisco article: Magical Lyricism

UMEA Institute for Design - Sweden, MOMENTUM Design Event

David Report, Issue 10, October 2008, Sweden : 5 Key Design trends

Seminars and Lectures:

- Stanford University, Continuing Studies Program, Design and History of Design, April 2007 // NONOBJECT Design innovation introduction

- Academy of Applied Arts and Design-Department for Industrial Design, University of Arts Belgrade, July 2007 // Introduction to NONOBJECT design

- CONNECTING’07 World Design Congress - Connecting to People and to Ideas, Masonic Center, San Francisco, October 2007 // World premiere of NONOBJECT design philosophy and design fiction

- Stanford University, Liu Lectures, April 2008 // Introduction to NONOBJECT design and design fiction

- YAHOO! Norcal PDMA, April 2008 // NONOBJECT, The Space Between You and the Object

- Momentum Design Conference and Event, June 2008, Umeå Institute of Design Sweden // NONOBJECT design for new experience