wear

"wear is the erosion of material from a solid surface by the action of another surface. It is related to surface interactions and more specifically the removal of material from a surface as a result of mechanical action." - wikipedia

In association with touch wear can impart on an object. It shapes and individualises an object to it's specific function and the users own trademark as it is a direct change according to use. Blue stone steps appear to bow under the weight of the thousands of feet the pass over them, this is a slow ebbing process that shapes the tread where the majority walk.

A wooden citrus reamer is slowly worn down from countless fruit forces juice from, and wood is smoothed from a sharp point to dull nub. The corners of a mobile phone become chipped of their paint, the plastic areas gouged, stainless steel scratched, but this becomes known as wear and tear. What makes wear a humbling representation of a products life, the use it has borne and the experiences it has shared? What makes wear and undesirable feature of a product, a glaring trace of its age?

Technological products wear inside and out, the surface scratches are matched by the fading of batteries, keypads and LCD screens. In addition to this wearing out the product is also exhausting its life in in terms of trends and fashion, the signs of wear show it is an old item not up to date, its technologies lacking. Creating an exterior that adds value with wear on such technology devices is a fruitless endeavor if the objects functions will be obsolete in a few years time. For example, a mobile phone that has a brass casing that shines with constant touch and wear is pointless if the internal specifics, the interface and appearance cannot change to accommodate technological advances.