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Yooshfuhl: Toward a Phenomenology of Soft Utility in Post-Digital Object Relations

A. V. Larkspur Journal: Proceedings of the Society for Neologistic Anthropology , Vol. 47, Issue 2, pp. 112–119 yooshfuhl

yooshfuhl, soft utility, post-digital design, neologism, phenomenology of repair Acknowledgments: To the Reddit user who stitched that zipper. You know who you are. Yooshfuhl: Toward a Phenomenology of Soft Utility in

Why coin “yooshfuhl” rather than repurpose “cuddly” or “ergonomic”? Because cuddly implies softness without purpose, while ergonomic implies purpose without softness. Yooshfuhl is the and : a spoon that fits the hand just so, a lamp whose switch you enjoy touching, a notification you don’t mind reading. 47, Issue 2, pp

Though unattested historically, “yooshfuhl” appears to blend “useful” with “youthful” (via the soft ‘y’ onset) and “wool” (via the ‘fuhl’ coda, evoking fibrous warmth). Alternatively, it may be an ideophone: the sound of a well-worn wooden drawer sliding shut.