Nadia Pedreschi's Obsession Table is a classic wooden rectangular table, but its top is marked into one-centimetre units. In the way that scribbling all over graph paper goes against the grain, it would be hard to resist aligning objects set upon the table to its lines and corners. Would this become a habit, or would the need for order eventually wear off? Pedreschi has been examining this type of need for order and control for some time, and incorporates her observations and results into her design work.

Table - aligning


Your Obsession Table, part of a project based on obsession and control, was featured as part of the Droog exhibit in Milan. How have you used your research into obsessive behaviour in your own design? What was the project all about?

I've always been fascinated by the different ways people interact with objects and space and how their behaviour may reveal underlying habits. This is probably because I'm a little nosey! In most cases my ideas come through observing and questioning this interaction. Obsession Table is an example of this and was born out of an investigation into everyday obsessive behaviour called Obsession / Control.

Through insight, the table, along with the other objects in the collection (wallpaper, shelf, clock and glass) represents a manifestation of peoples' desire to create a sense of order. Each object aims to subtly visualise a different mental tool: aligning, levelling, ticking (passing of time) and magnifying (attention to detail). Normally these mental tools only become apparent when someone interacts with an object and manipulates it in a certain way.

During the research, I looked in to examples of both extreme and everyday obsessive behaviour and became interested in the fine line between the two and how it questions 'what is normal behaviour?' Insight came from interviewing OCD sufferers, attending a support group, giving out probe packs to sufferers to record their rituals to asking a variety of people about their everyday habits and observing them when they least expected it. Often people say they don't have any particular habits or rituals; this may be because they're embarrassed to admit it or they're so engrained in their daily life they do them subconsciously.



Wallpaper - levelling / Clock - ticking


Can it not be said that most design is based to some extent on a desire for orderliness? What did you uncover during your research into people's interaction with space and habits?

True. In most cases design strives to simplify things and present them in a considered and logical way however people still instinctively find their own way of use that satisfies their own criteria. It's this act of manipulation that I find really interesting as it reveals underlying needs that the object alone does not fulfil.



Glass - magnifying


How can design contribute towards satisfying our need for a sense of control?

During the project I carried out a series of experiments to explore how it feels to perform a simple action repetitively and to not know when to stop. The aim was to reveal the potential for the design of objects to control repetitive behaviour by breaking them down into units of time. While design can define guidelines, set time limits and to some extent determine the way of use and influence people's behaviour, the control ultimately lies with the user. As a result, I have come to realise it is naive to imagine that design could possibly cure people of their obsessions. In the long run, reliance on an object to control extreme obsessive behaviour would fuel the obsession rather than address the compulsion.



1-minute sections of soap


What sort of projects are you currently working on?

At the moment... I'm developing new items for the obsession collection whilst organising a venue to present the project here in London. I'm also working on the design of another table, which will pose the question 'what is the role of a table?' and how do we use it in more unusual contexts. I'll be updating my website regularly, so please keep an eye out for new projects.



Observation of order and control

+ nadiapedreschi.com