“the growth of the virtual world led to a drastic shift to visual culture and at the same time rise in reading manga. Research shows a drastic decline in reading long texts, especially among young men and working people, and an increase in reading of short visual texts, from comics to Facebook. People nowadays speak in signs, especially young people on social networks who use emoji. The visual language is rising and will probably be dominant for a long time. But intelligent readers don’t want superficial texts even if they are only visuals.”

Space in the Marketplace

More pragmatically, our movements through space and time concern architects and urban planners, who try to determine the often unspoken desires and assumptions we bring to a given space.

For example, said Tim Stock, a commercial anthropologist and a partner in the design research firm scenarioDNA, we want a hotel room to convey the sense both that we are at home and that we are the first person to use the room — an illusion fostered by small touches like the artful folding down of the bedspread to expose the sheets, as though to say, fresh and new and all for you.

The uncertainties of the labor market are reflected in shifting trends in office design. Until recently, one’s position in a corporation was reflected by the size and location of one’s office, a large corner office with breathtaking views signaling high status.

“Tech companies have changed all that,” Mr. Stock said. “The people in charge don’t necessarily have an office. They just float around, they just show up, they’re everywhere.”