nonmaterials

Nonmaterials refers to the aspects of experience and value that are not physical substances. In design, nonmaterials complement materials by focusing on intangible qualities such as light, sound, texture perception, time-based experiences, behavior, context, and meaning. It covers digital, informational, and service-based elements that influence how people perceive and interact with products, spaces, and brands.

Examples include user interfaces, brand identity, storytelling, software services, performance and events, choreography of spaces, music, and digital content that exist in time or in the minds of users rather than as physical objects.

In practice, nonmaterials guide decisions in experience design, service design, marketing, and architecture, emphasizing usability, emotional impact, social value, and cultural resonance. Designers work with nonmaterials to craft memories, expectations, and interpretations, often using them to differentiate products when material form is similar.

Measurement relies on proxy indicators: user engagement, satisfaction, brand equity, accessibility, and the quality of communication. Because nonmaterials are intangible, ethical considerations and consistency across contexts are important.

Relationship to other concepts: nonmaterials intersect with intangible assets, information design, and phenomenology. They are integral in digital economies where software, data, and content generate value beyond physical form.

See also: intangible asset, experience design, service design, information design.