The hammer is a physical tool and a thinking tool at the same time.

It embodies both a set of possible interactions and the accompanying ideas of how it is used. From this perspective the hammer is a technology for thinking.

The interaction with our environment is producing our mental representation of it. Designing objects of interaction, be it physical objects, services or cultural technologies, is also a method for generating new or alternative ways of thinking. As interaction design can be used as an approach to explore this field, it also allows the incorporation social or philosophical observations and ideas into a tangible form.