111 an interchange value , usually an economic value ” 58 . The cost of the merchandises is not an inherent characteristic , but is a judgment about them emitted by subjects . Simmel59 suggests that objects are not hard to acquire for its high value , we call valued those objects that resists our desire to posses them .
The sense of the qualities in market A market could be modeled as a set of individuals ; each of them elects whether or not to buy a product based on internal measures60 – personal judgements –. These internal measures enforce the election . The dimensions of these measures are valuation and appreciation .
Consistent with he concept that a force of behavior is what leads the individual election , the value is defined as the measure of the consumers election . Is the sum of its appreciation of the object plus which he / she is disposed to sacrifice for it – its price –.
This means that the design efforts must be oriented towards the increase of the perceived value of the product . It is not only about product design like transforming elements of flows ( matter , energy , signal ), like physical forms that supports a function . As aforesaid , cost is relative and must be always compared with something , as the weight must be compared with a patter ( the scale ). That something is value .
To remark the qualities in the objects by any mean , publicity in example , has the objective of making the value customers perceive in the objects to be as high as possible , in such a way that customers becomes disposed to sacrifice a lot to
58 Some academics think that the objects , even they have an interchange value , if don ’ t have an economic
value , are not merchandises . This would destroy the concept of market in the societies when the commerce is based on barter . Note of the author 59 George Simmel . Philosophy of money . Cited in Arjun Appadurai The social life of things Ref .
60 Restrepo , John . Isomorphism Biology Technology as a conceptual design tool . Eafit University . 1997 . Ref