High-tech form and function
Symbols have been used throughout the course of civilisation as a means to encompass a larger idea and through that to evoke meaning via the creation of an aesthetic representation. The same applies to high-tech products on the market today. Both the companies making these products and the journalists who review them work to form a set of criteria that exhibits an appreciation of both the technological aspects and the aesthetic appeal of a product. As a multi-case study using qualitative and quantitative analysis, the EU-funded AESTHETIC INNOVATION (Symbolic Value Creation: Constructing Technological and Aesthetic Evaluation Criteria in High-technology Markets) project examined the aesthetic focus of these products. Resources for the analysis include press releases from major brand names in technology as well as product reviews of PCs and mobile phone industries over the past two decades. A comparative approach to the texts showed the means that companies and journalists alike employ to create a set of evaluation criteria for these products. The influence of these evaluations on journalists by the companies and vice versa was also examined. The project has already produced significant papers that were presented at major universities. The findings will be useful for companies as well as journalists, customers, suppliers and stakeholders dealing with high-tech products.
