Design Book Club - Jonathan Chapman
On Wednesday, March 25, the School of Design Book Club is pleased to present Professor Jonathan Chapman, Director of Doctoral Studies at the School of Design, for a conversation centered on his book Meaningful Stuff: Design That Lasts (MIT Press, 2021).
In Meaningful Stuff, Jonathan challenges conventional ideas of sustainability by shifting the focus from material durability to emotional longevity. He asks a deceptively simple question: why do we keep some things and discard others? From this, the book opens up rich conversations about care, attachment, consumption, and how designers might create objects, systems, and experiences that people truly value over time.
Jonathan will help frame the discussion through his research on emotionally durable design, inviting us to reflect on our own relationships with objects—and the responsibilities designers hold in shaping those relationships.
As always, the Book Club is informal, open, and welcoming. Whether you’ve read the book cover to cover, dipped into a few chapters, or are simply curious about the ideas, you are warmly encouraged to join us. Bring your lunch, your questions, and your favorite well-worn object (optional, but encouraged).
School of Design Book Club
Wednesday, March 25
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
School of Design Faculty Lounge