Round Forms as Play Cues
The argument that round and curved forms read as safe and suit play.
What it is
Ingrid Fetell Lee argues in Joyful that circles and spheres read as safe, appear as toys across cultures, and suit play because curved movement echoes how people move when they play. In homes, round tables and curved corners make spaces more sociable.
In effect
The article on squishy fidget toys uses it for the claim that the rounded shape of a squishy object is part of its appeal.
What it does not say
It is a design argument from a trade book and not an experimental finding. It does not say that round forms please everyone.
Sources
- Fetell Lee, I. Joyful.