Refinement vs Advancement Volume 1
The subtle art of keeping up with Joneses.
An excerpt from the book Sensemaking by Christian Madsbjerg
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Using the work of anthropologist Clifford Geertz, sensemaking revealed that the supermarket was actually a kind of stage setting or scenography for the cultural narrative of cooking. Instead of a system of optimization—food as fuel—the supermarket needed to communicate different atmospheres in service of this theater.
In the morning, the smell of fresh bread and coffee brewing entices shoppers, the music invigorates people on their way to work, and the lighting is bright and energizing. In the evening, however, the story shifts. People want savory smells and warm, dim light.
Extra staff provide quicker checkouts. Cleaners come in before the evening rush so everything feels inviting and cozy; breakfast goods are whisked away and replaced with displays of fresh flowers to decorate the dinner table.