My New Favorite Concept
October 18th, 2005
Tom Kelley posted a very interesting concept on The Fast Company blog yesterday… I’m sort of enamored with it. It’s the concept of ‘Vuja De.’ Whereas ‘Deja Vu’ is the feeling of already having been somewhere or done something you actually haven’t, ‘Vuja De’ is just the opposite. It’s doing something or being somewhere you’ve done or been over and over… yet it feels like the first time. It’s about taking the opportunity to question, to discover, to let go of assumptions and find what’s fascinating, what’s inspiring, what’s rewarding, what’s engaging right in front of your eyes. And maybe also, what’s not after all. Think about it. Brand messaging can’t change over and over and over in order to stay fresh and engaging. But, how can we make the experience of the brand engaging each time it’s experienced?
So here’s my challenge - to myself and you. Take a day this week and try on a little Vuja De. Don’t put on your blinders and head through your routine. See how it feels to really experience what you’re doing.� I’ll let you know how it goes. And I hope I’ll hear from some of you too.
(By the way, according to one of the comments on the FC blog, the actual term for this is ‘Jamais vu,’ but I prefer ‘Vuja De.’ It seems to me that ‘Jamais Vu’ focuses more on the not remembering and less on the seeing for the first time. It’s not about amnesia. It’s about perspective.)
Other posts by Jennifer.
DJ Ranier says:
This is also called “Zen.”
February 19th, 2006 at 12:20 pmOlivier Blanchard says:
Yeah. The un-routine. I’ve had that feeling a few times when I was particularly happy about something and went about doing some mundane task like driving to work or running along a country road, and all of the beauty that I usually missed out on was suddenly revealed. The zen thing is true too. It’s all about mental clarity and absence of ego. It’s great when it happens. Are you talking about recreating this experience with, say, a product? Like a can of Pepsi or an mp3 player or a new car? Making everyday interactions suddenly seem extraordinary (or at least unusually satisfying)? That would be the Holy Grail of design. I’m intrigued.
February 19th, 2006 at 12:21 pm