Abstract
This paper discusses the design of everyday things from an evolutionary perspec-
tive, by comparing everyday activities in the natural environments in which the human
species evolved and in the environments of the modern cities. It is supposed that, in
the natural environments, everyday activities for securing foods and energy served the
functions of not only these direct purposes but also of constructing human relations,
meanings and communities. By contrast, it is argued that, in the modern environments,
we have lost touch with the globally extended bases that support our daily lives, largely
due to our use of daily tools designed to maximize their immediate utilities.As a result,
we have lost the sense of community in which we support each other by constructing
relations and meanings through daily activities. Some design principles for globally
extending our visions are discussed based on observations in global collaborations in
the World Museum Project and some examples of social design projects.
