Design-Mediated Morality: The Transformative Potential of Aesthetic Objects

Art and artisanal objects carry the potential for moral transformations. Although consumer research suggests a relationship between aesthetic taste and morality, scholars have not deeply considered the role of material design in shaping consumers’ moral self. We address this missing link by theorizing the formative process of design-mediated morality: defined as the transmission of moral values into design objects through manifestos and design scripts, which allow consumers to experience morality in direct material engagements. We draw on a longitudinal ethnography of the New Nordic Food movement and its iconic flagship restaurant, noma, to demonstrate the influence of manifestos in streamlining moral virtues with aesthetic expressions. We identify three distinct scripting strategies (simulation, estrangement and sensitization) that steer consumers’ sensory and affective engagement with design objects. Our findings also explain that consumers’ moral awakening is tied to direct material engagement (or 'thinging’) with said objects. By highlighting the embodied dimensions of moralization, our work connects and advances research streams on market-mediated moralization, taste formation and experiential marketing. We conclude with critical reflections on the role of artisanal movements and design in affecting moral transformations, as well as outline avenues for future research on design-mediated morality in everyday consumption contexts.