In this newly revised Second Edition, you'll find six new essays that look at how UX research methods have changed in the last few years, why remote methods should not be the only tools you use, what to do about difficult test participants, how to improve your survey questions, how to identify user goals when you can’t directly observe users and how understanding your own epistemological bias will help you become a more persuasive UX researcher.
The subjects were photographed consistently in profile or facing the camera. This scientific approach allowed for a direct comparison of the same subject over 120+ sessions, making the subtle shifts in appearance strikingly obvious.
At its core, Cronos is a project of radical patience and commitment. In January 1990, Formiguera began an unprecedented long-term portrait study. He enlisted 32 individuals from his immediate circle, a group whose ages at the project's start ranged from just 2 years old to 75, encompassing the full arc of human life. The artistic methodology was as simple as it was rigorous: once a month, for ten years, he photographed each person, using the same neutral background and the same pose. The photographer Chantal Grande described the ritual: "In his studio, against a neutral background, naked, in profile or frontally, men, women and children submit to the portrait ritual".
: The work explores "meat clocks"—a term echoing poet Allen Ginsberg—where the body itself is the measure of time. Anthropological Depth : Beyond pure art, pere formiguera cronos high quality
The original exhibition prints from the Cronos series are primarily fiber-based silver gelatin prints. High-quality lifetime prints supervised or executed by Formiguera exhibit an exceptional tonal range. The deep blacks and subtle, luminous grays are critical to capturing the micro-textures of human skin, the thinning of hair, and the softening of facial structures over a decade. 2. Rigorous Framing and Consistency
The project functions as both fine art and a rigorous case study on human biology. The physical evolution is most striking in the younger subjects, where viewers watch infants transform into adolescents, and adolescents mature into young adults. Conversely, the elderly subjects reveal a subtle, dignified yielding to time—a process full of wisdom and quiet resistance. 3. Emotional and Psychological Transparency The subjects were photographed consistently in profile or
The project culminated in a massive 536-page book published by Actar in 2000. This high-quality publication is characterized by:
The book published in 2000 by ACTAR documents the entire project. It is highly prized for several reasons: In January 1990, Formiguera began an unprecedented long-term
Pere Formiguera ’s is a haunting, monumental photographic project that serves as a literal "clock" for the human condition. Over a span of ten years (1990–2000), Formiguera photographed 32 individuals—ranging from toddlers to the elderly—once every month. The result is a 536-page "essay without words" that captures the relentless, often imperceptible flow of time through the aging human body. Review: A Silent Dialogue with Time
This clinical approach removes the "artifice" of photography, leaving only the raw data of time. When viewed in high-quality prints or retrospectives, the grain and texture of the film serve to emphasize the organic texture of the skin, creating a hauntingly tactile experience.
Inside the chassis are two independent mono blocks sharing a single case. Each channel has its own power supply, transformer, and rectification. This eliminates crosstalk entirely, resulting in a 3D holographic soundstage where instruments breathe in their own space.
If you are looking to purchase a copy of "Cronos" by Pere Formiguera, consider checking reputable photography art bookstores or online platforms like Amazon.sg .
Since publication of the first edition, the main change, largely brought about by COVID and lockdowns, was a shift towards using remote UX research methods. So in this edition, we have added six new essays on the topic. Two essays describe the “how” of planning and conducting remote methods, both moderated and unmoderated. We also include new essays on test participants, on survey questions, and we reveal how your choice of UX research methods may reflect your own epistemological biases. We also flag the pitfalls of remote methods and include a cautionary essay on why they should never be the only UX research method you use.
David Travis has been carrying out ethnographic field research and running product usability tests since 1989. He has published three books on UX, and over 30,000 students have taken his face-to-face and online training courses. He has a PhD in Experimental Psychology.
Philip Hodgson has been a UX researcher for over 25years. His UX work has influenced design for the US, European and Asian markets for products ranging from banking software to medical devices, store displays to product packaging and police radios to baby diapers. He has a PhD in Experimental Psychology.