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DESIGN RESEARCH NEWS Volume 6 Number 10, Oct 2001 ISSN 1473-3862
Digital Newsletter of the Design Research Society www.drs.org.uk
________________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
o Editor's space
o 2nd Call: DRS Conference "Common Ground' 2002
o Conference Series 'Designing for Sustainability'
o Calls for Papers
o Announcements
o Reviews
o Questions, Questions...
o Cyber News
o The Design Research Society: information
o Electronic Services of the DRS
o Contributing to Design Research News
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
EDITOR'S SPACE
This is another largish edition to try to clear some of the
backlog of announcements. More next month.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
REMINDER
COMMON GROUND - THE DESIGN RESEARCH SOCIETY CONFERENCE 2002
An international conference organised by the Design Research
Society
Sponsored by:
European Academy of Design
Japanese Society for the Science of Design
Korean Society of Design Studies
Brunel University
Staffordshire University
The Common Ground conference is supported by the following
journals:
Design Studies
Design Issues
The Design Journal
Journal of Design Sciences and Technology
The Design Research Society will host a major international
conference in early September 2002. The venue will be Brunel
University's Design campus at Runnymede, on the outskirts of
London, near Heathrow Airport.
The theme for the conference is 'Common Ground' and the aim is
to bring together many of the sub-disciplines and sub-groups of
the design research community - to present current work, to
explore areas of common interest, to connect, to argue, to
integrate, and to celebrate both the commonality and the
diversity of our shared interests and strengths. The larger
purpose is to take a significant step forward and endorse the
new maturity of our international, interdisciplinary community.
This community has been growing for some thirty years, and in
the last decade or so has seen significant developments in terms
of outside recognition from the professions, governments and
industries, and in terms of the internal growth of its own set
of journals, conferences and organisations. It is now time to
put this developmental stage behind us and establish the common
ground of our intellectual and practical capabilities. One of
the outcomes of the conference we hope will be a broadened
conception of a design research community as well as some
strategies for increasing the communication and connection among
the different sub-groups.
We expect the conference proceedings to be a significant volume,
of long-lasting relevance. We invite the various journals that
serve our community to participate, and to organise special
issues arising from the conference. We invite individual
researchers to submit papers and contributions for the
conference.
Some of the themes that could be expected to feature in the
conference include design studies, design history, design
management, design methodology, design thinking, design
philosophy, design policy, design education, ecodesign, and
design inquiries. In general, we will favour contributions that
have an interdisciplinary appeal, that look and reach beyond a
single domain of design practice or a single discipline of
design research.
Common Ground has been inspired by a number of recent events,
conferences, collaborations and publications in the
international design research community. There are many small
groups of researchers around the world, who operate in different
ways and in different domains, but who share the fascination for
design. Common Ground seeks to continue building the network
that connects these groups and individuals, to create
interactions and encourage dialogue. We can acknowledge the
diversity of our foundations in the natural sciences, social
sciences, technology, arts and the humanities, and yet recognise
our shared aims in achieving coherence and validity for the
contributions we have to offer to society.
Call For Papers:
Papers on any researched design-related topic are sought for
presentation at the conference.
Initial submission requirements:
The initial submission requirement is an abstract of between 500
to 600 words, which should include the title (and subtitle if
applicable), authors, and affiliations. The abstract should also
include the objectives of the research, the approach or method
used, and an indication of the nature of the main findings.
Submissions should be made in MS Word format (.doc), or Rich
Text Format (.rtf), by email to Linda Marshall
([log in to unmask]).
Deadline for submission of abstracts:
The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 21 January 2002.
Conference website:
Further details will be posted on the conference website as
available:
http://www.brunel.ac.uk/depts/des/drs/
Important Dates:
First call for papers: 1st July 2001
Abstracts due: 1st January 2002
Provisional acceptance notified: 18th February 2002
Full papers due: 1st April 2002
Acceptance of full paper notified: 6th May 2002
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2001/2002 DESIGNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY
EVENING LECTURE SERIES
Designing for Sustainability Research Group
Faculty of Design, Kingston University
(This DRS sponsored series of events will carry on into 2002.
Further details will appear in a future DR News).
___
Wednesday, 24 October 2001 at 6pm
Games on a stone pavement: design, sustainability and meaning
Venue: RSA, the Great Hall, 8 John Adam Street, London WC2
Professor Stuart Walker, University of Calgary, Canada &
Visiting Professor in Sustainable Design, Faculty of Design,
Kingston University. Chaired by Professor Penny Sparke, Dean,
Faculty of Design, Kingston University
Product design in the context of sustainability requires
fundamental and lasting change in the ways we design and produce
our products. Such change will occur if our creative activities
are rooted in understandings that allow our actions and our
products to become truly meaningful. In this talk Stuart Walker
will discuss 'sustainability' and 'meaning' and present examples
of design work that explores how these issues can influence the
nature of design and the aesthetics of the physical product.
Professor Stuart Walker is a well-known writer and commentator
in the area of design and sustainability. He has presented and
published internationally and his design work was recently
exhibited in a stand-alone show at the Design Museum, London.
Free admission
To book tickets for the above lecture please contact the RSA by
telephoning 020 7451 6868 or emailing [log in to unmask]
___
Tuesday, 27 November 2001 at 6:30pm
The Total Beauty of Sustainable Products
Venue: Presentation Room, Design Council, London WC2
Edwin Datschefski, Founder, Biothinking International
Edwin Datschefski specialises in the development and promotion
of sustainable product design concepts. He is the founder of
Biothinking International, a non-profit organisation that aims
to train a million people in sustainable product design. Edwin
has spent eight years as a manager and consultant in
environmental organisations and has acted as a consultant to
some of the world's leading organisations including BP, British
Airways, the UK Environment Agency and IBM. He is an
inspirational speaker who has given talks across the Globe.
Edwin's will discuss through storytelling the environmental and
social impact of the production chain and guide us through
sustainable product development. He will explain his cyclic /
solar / safe methodology for assessing the environmental
performance of products and processes. The audience will be
prompted to assess the 'beauty' of everyday products by
simplifying the way we look at sustainability and by offering a
radical product-based focus. The talk is a highly visual
experience and will draw on his unparalleled collection of 700
sustainable product design images and case examples.
UKP5 per ticket / free to Design Research Society members
___
Tuesday, 22 January 2002 at 6:30pm
Exploring Key Issues in Sustainable Architecture
Venue: The Senior Common Room, Faculty of Design, Knights Park,
Knights Park campus, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames
Dominic Cole, Director, Land Use Consultants & John Broom,
Architect, Archetype. Chaired by Judi Farren Bradley, Director
of Postgraduate Studies, School of Architecture & Landscape,
Faculty of Design, Kingston University
UKP5 per ticket / free to Design Research Society members
___
Tuesday, 26 February 2002 at 6:30pm
Designing with Recycled Materials
Venue: Presentation Room, Design Council, 34 Bow Street, London
WC2
Chaired by Anne Chick, Reader in Sustainable Design, Faculty of
Design, Kingston University
UKP5 per ticket/ free to Design Research Society members
Tuesday, 16 April 2002 at 6:30pm
Design for Sustainability Question Time
Venue: Lawley Lecture Theatre, Kingston Hill campus, Kingston
University, Kingston upon Thames
Chaired by Andrew Summers, Chief Executive, Design Council /
Gerry Carter, DTI, Design Policy Unit
UKP5 per ticket / free to Design Research Society members
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
CALL FOR PAPERS
SPECIAL JOURNAL ISSUE
BEST PRACTICES IN PhD EDUCATION FOR DESIGN
The journal Art, Design and Communication in Higher Education
will publish a special issue on best practices in PhD education
for design in November 2002 (Volume 1: Issue 3).
We seek articles offering examples of best practice and models
for what should be done in developing the PhD in design.
Papers on doctorates in fine arts and communication which
address these issues are encouraged for consideration for Volume
2 of the journal.
We invite submissions on topics on all aspects of doctoral
education. Closing date for submissions is 16 January 2002.
Suggested themes:
Supervision
Content of taught courses
Management of courses-by-research
Admission practice
Curriculum development
Program planning
Staffing needs
Resource allocation
Thesis requirements
Research methods requirements
Operational definitions of degree programs.
Budgeting
Research funding
Quality assurance
This issue will focus on exclusively the research doctorate. In
most cases, this is the degree titled PhD We will not consider
the doctorate in professional practice (f.ex., D.Des.), the
studio doctorate (DFA, DCA), or the teaching doctorate (DA,
Ed.D.)
We recognize that doctoral awards differ among nations and
across disciplines. We will consider articles on doctoral
research degrees with different titles as long as the award is a
research degree with a clearly defined research component.
The editors of the special issue are David Durling and Ken
Friedman.
David Durling is director of the Advanced Research Institute at
Staffordshire University School of Art and Design. He is also
chair of the Design Research Society and editor of Design
Research News.
Ken Friedman is Associate Professor of Leadership and Strategic
Design in the Department of Technology and Knowledge Management,
Norwegian School of Management, and is Visiting Professor at
Staffordshire University.
Together, Durling and Friedman organized and chaired the
international conference on doctoral education in design in La
Clusaz, France.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
AIMS AND SCOPE
Art, Design and Communication in Higher Education is a refereed
journal which aims to inform, stimulate and promote the
development of research with a learning and teaching focus for
art, design and communication within higher education. This
issue is focused on design.
NOTES FOR CONTRIBUTORS
We will only consider papers that are not being considered for
publication elsewhere. If there is more than one author, please
attach to every submission a letter confirming that all authors
have agreed to the submission and that the article is not
currently being considered for publication by any other journal.
PROCEDURE
Submissions will be circulated for double blind peer review. It
is the aim of the journal editorial team that authors will
normally be informed of the submission's suitability for the
journal within eight weeks. Authors of accepted papers will, in
due course, receive proofs of their articles and be asked to
send corrections to the editor.
TYPES OF CONTRIBUTION
There are three possible types of contribution:
- Major Papers - suggested length is 5000-6000 words. Material
presented will contribute to knowledge in its field and should
include original work of a research or developmental nature
and/or proposed new methods or ideas which are clearly and
thoroughly presented and argued.
- Shorter Items of length 1,000 - 2,500 words
- Reports of research in progress
- Reflections on the research process
- Research evaluation of a funded projects
- Reviews
Relevant recent publications, electronic media, software and
conference reports. Separate guidelines for reviewers are
available, please contact Paul B Clark for details -
[log in to unmask]
FORMAT
Each manuscript should contain:
i) title page with full title and subtitle (if any)
For the purposes of blind refereeing, the full name of each
author with current affiliation and full address/phone/fax/email
details plus a short biographical note (150 words) should be
supplied on a separate sheet. Shorter papers should indicate the
category under which the paper is being submitted : research in
progress; reflections on the research process ; research
evaluation of a funded project.
(ii) abstract of 100-150 words
(iii) 3-6 key words
(iv) the main text should be clearly organised with a hierarchy
of heading and subheadings, with quotations exceeding 40 words
displayed, indented, in the text. Main headings should be typed
in capitals, secondary headings should be in lower case.
(v) the style should be clear and concise, using straightforward
language. If technical terms or acronyms must be included, they
should be defined when first introduced. UK spellings should be
used.
(vi) footnotes should be avoided
(vii) references in the text should be made thus - author's
name, year of publication in brackets. If reference is made to a
number of publications by an author in the same year, these
should be distinguished by using suffixes (2001a, 2001b etc).
Where a direct quote is given or specific reference made,
pagination should be included.
References should be listed alphabetically at the end of paper
as the following examples:
Cina, C. (1994) TINA's Academy, in De Ville, N and Foster, S
(Eds) The Artist and the Academy: Issues in Fine Art Education
and the Wider Cultural Context. Southampton: John Hansard
Gallery, pp 41-62
Dudley, E & Mealing, S. (2000) Becoming Designers: Education and
Influence. Exeter: Intellect
Geraghty, C (2000) Representation and Popular Culture: Semiotics
and the construction of meaning, in Curran, J and Gurevitch, M
(Eds) Mass Media and Society. London: Arnold, pp362-375.
Higher Education Quality Council (1994) Choosing to change:
extending access, choice and mobility in higher education. The
report of the HEQC CAT development project (the Robertson
report) London: HEQC
Prosser, M. & Trigwell, K. (1999). Understanding learning and
teaching: The experience of higher education. Buckingham:
SRHE/Open University Press.
References to websites or pages within websites should
approximate as closely as possible the information required in a
print reference and use the following form:
Author name. Year of publication (or year accessed). Title.
[Online]. Place of publication: Name of publisher. Available
from: URL <?>. [Accessed date].
(viii) A total word count, including references should be
provided.
TABLES AND FIGURES
Tables and figures should be prepared on separate sheets,
clearly labelled and their position indicated by a marginal note
in the text. All tables and figures should have short
descriptive captions and their source(s) typed below.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Illustrations should be numbered consecutively and be
accompanied by short descriptive captions. Line diagrams should
be presented in a form suitable for immediate reproduction (ie
not requiring redrawing), each on a separate A4 sheet or as
scanned images. Photographic images should preferably be
submitted as JPEGs scanned full size at 300 dpi and given clear
titles (other formats, GIFFs, TIFFs and EPS files can also be
accepted).
COPYRIGHT
Before publication, authors are requested to assign copyright to
the ADC-LTSN subject to retaining their right to reuse the
material in other publications written or edited by themselves
and due to be published at least one year after initial
publication in the Journal. A credit to the publisher and the
original source should be cited if an article appearing in ADCHE
is subsequently reprinted elsewhere.
PERMISSIONS
Authors are responsible for obtaining permissions from copyright
holders for reproducing any illustrations, tables, figures or
lengthy quotations previously published elsewhere.
LIABILITY
The authors of the Journal warrant that their works,
collectively or individually do not infringe any Intellectual
Property Rights (IPR) or violate any laws. The authors shall
indemnify the association and hold the association harmless from
any damages and liabilities arising from any breach of IPR in
connection with their literary or artistic contributions to the
Association and its journal.
SUBMISSION
Manuscripts should be submitted electronically as a Word file in
the form of an attachment to an e-mail. If the file is large
because it contains images it should compressed with StuffIt or
ZipIt. Alternatively it may be sent on a Zip disk (Mac
compatible).
SEND TO
Kath Bowden, Editorial Assistant: [log in to unmask]
Review submissions should be sent to Paul B Clark
([log in to unmask]). Please consult the Reviewers guidelines
for further details.
For further information about the journal, contact the Editorial
Assistant: Kath Bowden, ADC-LTSN, University of Brighton, 68
Grand Parade, Brighton, Sussex, BN2 2JY.
Tel / Fax: +44 (0) 1273 643119 Email: [log in to unmask]
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
CALLS FOR PAPERS
* This is a general announcement to inform you that
details, fees and on-line registration form for the PARIP -
Practice as Research in Performance symposium are now
available at:
http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Drama/parip
Alternately, you may contact me directly for hard copy of
the registration form.
Angela Piccini PARIP Department of Drama: Theatre, Film,
Television University of Bristol Cantocks Close Woodland
Road Bristol BS8 1UP T: +44 0117 954 5474 E:
[log in to unmask]
* 26-27 June 2002: First Announcement and Call for
Papers. First International Conference on Design and
Manufacture for Sustainable Development University of
Liverpool, UK
Sponsored by CIRP, IEE and the Royal Academy of Engineering
You are cordially invited to submit abstracts for the above
conference. Further information and update on the
Conference:
http://www.liv.ac.uk/sustain
* INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DESIGN COMPUTING ISSN 1329
7147
Submissions are invited for a Special Issue of the
International Journal of Design Computing on Designing
Virtual Worlds. Consistent with the guidelines for journal
submissions, the special issue will feature multimedia
presentations of research and development in the following
areas:
- Development of mulit-user 3D virtual worlds
- Design principles for virtual worlds
- Case Studies of the design and implementation of virtual
worlds
- Virtual architecture
- Virtual multi-user learning environments
- Virtual design studios
- Experiences in multi-user virtual worlds
- Sound design in virtual worlds
- Interfaces for virtual worlds
- Interfaces between virtual and physical worlds
Submissions should be a visual presentation of the work and
include a description of the background and the contribution
of the work.
Submissions should be prepared as a web site making use of
animation and movies as appropriate. Authors should submit a
URL by email to:
Mary Lou Maher <[log in to unmask]>
with the subject: IJDC special issue.
All submissions will be reviewed by at least two referees.
Accepted submissions will be published on the Journal web
site and distributed on CD to subscribers.
Dates:
30 November Submissions due
16 December Reviewers' comments sent to authors 15 January
Revised submissions due 15 February Special Issue published
* 12-17 May 200: 2002 Congress on Evolutionary
Computation Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, HI. Held as
part of the WCCI World Congress on Computational
Intelligence
http://www.wcci2002.org
The annual Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC) is one
of the premier international conferences in the field. It
covers all topics in evolutionary computation: from
combinatorial to numerical optimization, from supervised to
unsupervised learning, from co-evolution to collective
behaviors, from evolutionary design to evolvable hardware,
from molecular to quantum computing, from ant colony to
artificial ecology, etc. The emphasis of the Congress will
be on original theories and novel applications of
evolutionary computation techniques. The Congress welcomes
paper submissions from researchers, practitioners, and
students worldwide.
The 2002 Congress will be held in conjunction with the
International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN)
and the IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy Systems
(FUZZ-IEEE) as part of the World Congress on Computational
Intelligence (WCCI). Crossfertilization of the three fields
will be strongly encouraged. The Congress will feature
keynote speeches and tutorials by world-leading researchers.
It also will include a number of special sessions and
workshops on the latest hot topics. Your registration admits
you to all events and includes the World Congress
proceedings and banquet. The new extended deadline for
submissions is 1 December 2001. Look for more details on
paper submission and conference registration coming soon at
http://www.wcci2002.org.
CEC is jointly supported by the IEEE Neural Networks
Council, the Evolutionary Programming Society, and the
Institution of Electrical Engineers.
* 24-26 April,2002: CITY, IMAGE AND MEMORY, The Heritage,
Outlook to the Future, Santiago de Cuba. Third
International Meeting "The City, Image and Memory"
GENERAL THEMES
1. The Image of the city: Criteria for its perception,
conservation and/or transformation: Urban Action.
2. The monumental areas: Planning and Action
3. The Heritage Inventory: Forms and Methods of present
days.
4. University and Heritage
THEMES
Student Workshop
1. New Insertions in the Historic Center.
2. Urban Rehabilitation.
3. New Urban Development.
PRESENTATION OF WORKS
- Oral: Speech of 10 minutes and round table debates.
- Posters: 940 mm X 700 mm(no more than 2 posters per work)
- Video: As complement of works. (no more than 10 min.)
- Audiovisuals: Slides:35 mm Video Cassettes: VHS (NTSC)
Format.
Further details from: <[log in to unmask]> or
<[log in to unmask]> Phone:53-226 642908 Fax:
53-226-632689 or 643186 or 641701
CALENDAR:
Abstract Presentation: Oct 30th,2001
Abstract Acceptance: Nov 20th,2001
Work Presentation: Until January 31st,2002
* 14-17 May 2002: DESIGN 2002 conference, MAY, 2002
DUBROVNIK.
DESIGN 2002 will be the 7th successive meeting of
professional designers, design researchers and members of
the academic community. The goal of the conference is to
bring together researchers who have worked on or thought
about design from a variety of perspectives, disciplines,
and field.
Further information and registration form are on the web
site.
http://www.cadlab.fsb.hr/design2002
* CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Milka Bliznakov Prize
The Milka Bliznakov Prize, conferred in recognition of
research that advances knowledge of women's contributions to
architecture and related design fields, was created to
encourage the use and growth of the International Archive of
Women in Architecture
http://spec.lib.vt.edu/iawa/
The Board of Advisors of the International Archive of Women
in Architecture (IAWA) will present a prize in the amount of
$1,000 following a two-stage process:
Stage One
Review of Proposals: An abstract (250-500 words) for
proposed original projects is invited by October 19, 2001.
This could include study, research,or scholarly work,
relative to the IAWA collections, and which will contribute
to and advance the recognition of women's contributions in
design. The Board of Advisors of the IAWA may select up to
five (5) Stage One proposals.
Stage Two
Authors of selected proposals will be invited to continue
their projects to compete in Stage Two for the Bliznakov
Prize.
Proposals for Stage One should be sent to:
IAWA Executive Committee c/o Marcia F. Feuerstein, Ph.D.,
A.I.A. IAWA Chair Virginia Tech 202 Cowgill Hall (0205)
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 [log in to unmask]
Prize information can be found on-line at:
http://spec.lib.vt.edu/iawa/Bliznakov/Prize2001a.html
Marcia F. Feuerstein, Ph.D., A.I.A. Assistant Professor,
Architecture Chair, International Archive of Women in
Architecture Director, Blue Ridge AIA Virginia Tech
540-231-5260 (o) [log in to unmask]
* 11-12 April 2002: CALL FOR PAPERS International
Postgraduate Research Conference 2002, University of
Salford, UK
The School of Construction and Property Management is
organising the second international conference for
postgraduates researching in the field of built and human
environment. The conference is to be held at the University
of Salford, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom. All
postgraduate researchers are invited to submit papers
jointly with their supervisors. The content of the papers
can reflect any aspect of research being undertaken by a
postgraduate at any stage of his/her study. Papers will be
reviewed by a scientific committee and all successful papers
will be published in the conference proceedings. Papers will
only be accepted on the basis that the postgraduate will
attend the conference.
The conference is being organised to coincide with the
International Research Symposium in Facilities Management,
also to be held at the University of Salford on the two
preceding days (9-10 April). Registration fee is GBP100 to
attend the two-day conference, or GBP125 to attend the
conference and the symposium. This is to cover refreshments
and conference proceedings. If you would like to submit an
abstract or for further information, please register your
interest on the Website:
http://www.scpm.salford.ac.uk/BF2002/
Contact Details All enquiries relating to this conference
should to be addressed to:
Mary Hamblett School of Construction and Property Management
University of Salford Salford, M7 9NU. United Kingdom
Tel: +44 161 295 3071 Fax +44 161 295 5011 E-mail:
[log in to unmask]
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
ANNOUNCEMENTS
* Oullim Congress available as a book. Following the
outstanding Icograda Oullim Congress in October 2002, Ahn
Graphics published an impressive and comprehensive book of
more than 700 pages including the lectures, reports on
events and the Education Manifesto translated in various
languages. This impressive record can be ordered at
[log in to unmask] or by fax 82-2-743-3352.
* NEW PUBLICATION: Research Issues in Art, Design and Media
ISSN 1474-2365
Research Issues in Art, Design and Media is edited by Darren
Newbury and Nick Stanley, and published by The Research
Training Initiative, Birmingham Institute of Art and Design,
University of Central England.
http://www.biad.uce.ac.uk/research/riadm/
Research Issues will publish: overviews of new and emerging
themes and research topics; reflections on the process of
research; reviews of particular research methods or
techniques; and discussions of current issues in art, design
and media research.
Issue No.1 - Diaries and Fieldnotes in the Research Process
(September 2001)
Future issues will include papers on: research in haptics;
usability research methods; and reflective practice.
Research Issues will be published three times a year
(Spring, Summer, Autumn). Each issue will consist of one
paper focused on a distinct topic and will provide guidance
to further reading and resources for further exploration.
The primary audience is research students, but the
publication is also likely to be of interest to research
degree supervisors and other researchers in art, design and
media.
Research Issues will be available via the web in standard
html format for on-screen viewing, and in Adobe Acrobat
(pdf) format for downloading and printing. Past issues will
be archived on the site forming a useful resource for future
researchers.
* POSTGRADUATE DESIGN RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY
FALMOUTH COLLEGE OF ARTS JOINS FORCES WITH THE EDEN PROJECT
The launch of a Falmouth College of Arts/Eden Project
MPhil/PhD Research Studentship is the latest collaboration
between the College's Faculty of Art & Design and the Eden
Project.
The aims of the studentship are to contribute to the
development of products that balance social, environmental
and economic factors; to produce research that promotes an
understanding of the complex and critical relationship
between people, plants and resources; and to contribute to
the re-establishment of a successful enterprise culture in
Cornwall.
The Eden/FCA studentship is for a fixed period of three
years, commencing 1st October 2001, with study taking place
at both Eden and the College of Arts.
The successful candidate is expected to have a good first
degree and an MA in studio practice, or demonstrable
equivalent experience. He or she will be required to
demonstrate an understanding of the way in which research
informs practice, with particular regard to developing
intelligent products that demonstrate sustainability in its
broadest sense. It is hoped that the successful project
will focus on the use of natural materials or on natural
forms and structures as a means of promoting the most
effective design solutions.
The intention will be to showcase the research process and
its products at the Eden Project visitor centre to promote
the contribution that design can make towards
sustainability.
Eden's Institute Director, Dr Tony Kendle says: "The Eden
Project believes that intelligent, innovative and
inspirational design is a key component in the move towards
a sustainable society. We are also particularly excited by
this studentship as it is one of the first components in our
research programme that is based on the interface between
art and science. Interdisciplinary projects of this kind
are fundamental to resolving environmental problems."
FCA's Reader in Design Research, Dr Katie Bunnell says:
"Our ongoing collaborative partnership with Eden, based on
the pursuit of sustainable development, has resulted in a
unique opportunity for a designer to undertake research into
innovative, sustainable, three dimensional design products
and processes in Cornwall. This studentship forms part of
Falmouth College of Arts' ongoing commitment to design
research that embraces sustainability and innovation, and
informs the international debate."
Prospective applicants are invited to contact Falmouth
College of Arts' Admissions Office for an information pack,
or Dr Katie Bunnell for an informal discussion on 01326
211077.
* The International Interior Design Association (IIDA)
Foundation invites interior design practitioners and
interior design educators to submit proposals for the Joel
Polsky/Fixtures Furniture/IIDA Foundation Research Award in
the amount of $10,000. The Polsky award is given annually to
fund a research project that will support and enhance the
practice of interior design. Proposals must clearly
demonstrate the value of the proposed project to the
interior design profession.
Proposals are due in the IIDA Foundation office by November
15, 2001. The award will be made in December 2001.
For more information and application materials, visit the
IIDA Foundation's website at
http://www.iida.org/organizations/foundation
or e-mail Eve Gutmann at [log in to unmask] or call the
IIDA Foundation Headquarters at 312-443- 9671.
* News from The Centre for Sustainable Design
(www.cfsd.org.uk) please click on the links below
- Sustainable Services & Systems - 29th - 30th October 2001
see http://www.cfsd.org.uk/events/tspd6/index.html
- Sustainable Product Experience - 22nd November 2001 - see
http://www.cfsd.org.uk/sp/index.html
- Integrated Product Policy and eco-product development -
see http://www.cfsd.org.uk/ipp-epd/index.html
- Journal of Sustainable Product Design
http://www.cfsd.org.uk/journal/index.html
- Sustainable Solutions: on-line bookshop
http://www.cfsd.org.uk/cfsdpubs/bookshop/index.html
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REVIEWS
* Berry, Wendell. 2000. Life is a miracle. An essay
against modern superstition. 2000. Washington, DC:
Counterpoint.
One of the great debates in design research is the argument
between holism and reductionism. This debate is closely
related to the dialectical opposition of local knowledge
against universal knowledge and regional character global
condition. This argument frequently poses specificity
against generalization, and fields of practice against
research disciplines.
Wendell Berry addresses all these concerns in a book-length
essay that takes its titles from King Lear (IV, vi, 55):
"Thy life's a miracle. Speak yet again."
This book is Berry's argument with Edward O. Wilson's 1998
masterpiece, Consilience. The Unity of Knowledge (New York:
Alfred A. Knopf). Wilson, a brilliant entomologist and
controversial Harvard professor, is a firm believer in the
scientific method. Wilson specifically argues for
reductionism as the royal road to knowledge. Berry disagrees
with Wilson's view. In Berry's view, reductionism and
science have become a modern superstition. He argues a
deeply held position that is anchored in well-structured
philosophy and in a profound and reasoned understanding of
the world.
What makes this book so remarkable is that Berry - like
Wilson - loves nature and nature's truth. Like Wilson, Berry
argues from depth of knowledge and an integrated philosophy
of life and world.
There are two approaches to consilience. One is a
fractionated, reductionist consilience aimed at discovering
discrete facts to locate them in theoretical hierarchies and
fit them into the grand machine of Newton's clockwork
universe. The other is a holistic consilience. This world is
reflected in a spectrum of particular, vivid colors that
blur each into the next in a rainbow that cannot be pried
apart into its separate elements. Berry favors the rainbow,
and he builds it on rich, careful observation. Such great
books as The Gift of Good Land, or Home Economics
demonstrate Berry's talents as a naturalist and an observer
of life.
The term "holism" entered the English language in 1926, when
South African statesman and philosopher Jan Christian Smuts
published Holism and Evolution. Holism requires observation
as well as insight. Serious holism involves many of the
principles involved in complexity studies.
Holism is sometimes confused with metaphor, a perspective
that allows counterfactual claims. This is not holism, but
its contrary. To understand the world in a holistic
perspective demands a level of rigor and intellectual
clarity far greater than the notion of metaphor permits.
Metaphor opens a door to holism, but more than metaphor is
required to cross the threshold to holistic knowledge.
Holism requires greater work than reductionism precisely
because one must master and hold more facts, issues, and
theories in mind at one time.
Wendell Berry does this, and Life is a Miracle demonstrates
the value of a holistic view in contrast with Wilson's
reductionist perspective. This is certainly the case in
social and political terms. The fragmented perspective of
reductionism forms a problematic basis for ethical
judgments. It leads to problems when social decisions and
human action require ethical premises.
The challenge of understanding things -- large and small --
involves finding ways to perceive and make use of data and
facts, ideas and information, knowledge and wisdom. The
understandings accessible to some levels of analysis are not
available to others. Good research requires systemic
thinking and explicit articulation. Good action requires
particular knowledge and general understanding. The
dialectic between holism and reductionism is an important
resource for both.
The problem in today's world is that reductionism often
overbalances holism. The designer's sensibility is properly
weighted toward holism. It rejects reductionism, and rightly
so. Nevertheless, designers often reject what reductionist
research reveals. In this, they allow taste to outvote
judgment, a serious problem in designing effective, holistic
systems.
In the 1960s, I studied anthropology with John Collier, Jr.
at San Francisco State University. The 1960s were times of
great social upheaval. Many of us studied different subjects
with the hope of building a better world. Collier would
often describe the central dilemma that faced those who
intended to design social reform and build better social
systems. "Changing a social system," he said, "requires that
you change the entire system at once. Changing the entire
system requires you to understand and change each element.
You can't change each element without changing them all, and
you can't change them all unless you change each." While he
said it more eloquently than I have managed to do, the point
is clear. The central dilemma of effective social change is
the tension between whole systems and their discrete parts.
Complexity theory and such concepts as complex adaptive
systems and emergent order offer perspectives that were not
available to Collier's students. Nevertheless, Collier
understood what many social activists and failed reformers
do not. Wendell Berry's perspective is marked by the same
wisdom, a sense of holism anchored in empirical reality and
ethical substance.
Berry's critique of Consilience requires us to engage and
understand Wilson as well as to question him. This is as it
should be. The reductionism that works so well as an
analytical tool represents a profound danger when taken as a
philosophy.
The Danish physicist Niels Bohr spoke of two kinds of truth.
In Bohr's view, the opposite of a trivial truth is an
absurdity, obviously false. A profound truth is "recognized
by the fact that the opposite is also a profound truth."
So it is with Wendell Berry and Edward O Wilson. Berry's
book is an important contribution to contemporary thought,
and it is important to any philosophy of design. To
understand it fully, one must also understand Wilson's
views. Only then can one understand why Berry argues so
effectively and profoundly against them. - Ken Friedman
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QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS...
Mathew Parackal writes:
* As part of my doctoral research at Massey University, New
Zealand, I am attempting to improve the accuracy of a
prediction method that uses purchase probability scores. I
would be grateful for your help as participants in a very
short survey.
To complete the survey, please click on the link below. On
reaching the site, you will be allocated randomly to a
treatment.
http://survey.massey.ac.nz/Elmar
The survey is completely confidential. My supervisors are
Associate Professor Tony Lewis ([log in to unmask]) and Dr
Ron Garland ([log in to unmask]); both my supervisors
and I will be glad to answer any questions you may have.
You can reach me at 0064 6 350 5580, or email me at
[log in to unmask]
Thank you in advance for your help. I look forward to
receiving your completed questionnaire.
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CYBER NEWS: snippets from the networks
* SeeingDrawing
Nominated for a BAFTA Award 2001
Buy the SeeingDrawing DVD on-line at
http://www.seeingdrawing.com
We are pleased to announce the launch of SeeingDrawing the
most ambitious and, at thirty five hours, the most extensive
interactive learning package on drawing ever produced. Three
years in the making, the SeeingDrawing DVD is the product of
a collaboration between Camberwell College of Arts, London
College of Fashion, Falmouth College of Art, The University
of Ulster, Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication.
The project was funded by HEFCE and DHFETE under the
Teaching and Learning Technology Programme. The
SeeingDrawing project was managed, designed and developed by
the London Institute award winning IT Research and
Development Unit (ITRDU).
SeeingDrawing aims to develop students' visual literacy
through computer based technology and in so doing provide an
innovative teaching tool for teachers of Art and Design and
communication.
As Lord Puttnam, said at the launch of SeeingDrawing "this
is a truly groundbreaking initiative, the sheer range of the
product is breathtaking, any student, studying any
discipline will find something in SeeingDrawing to spark
them off along the road to uncovering or stimulating their
own most vital talents".
The programme is useful aid for teachers and an
inspirational experience for students and anyone interested
in drawing.
Order SeeingDrawing UKP 50 plus P&P on-line from
seeing.drawing.com or from Richard Atkinson, London
Institute 65 Davies street London W1K 5DA Telephone 0207 514
6185/6222.
* 20-24 March 2002: DigiFest, Toronto - Canada
DigiFest is an international showcase celebrating the best
in digital media.
http://www.dxnet.net/digifest
* The Tomorrow's-Professor Listserv is sponsored by the
Stanford University Learning Laboratory.
http://sll.stanford.edu/projects/tomprof/newtomprof/index.shtml
* We would like to introduce you to Scirus, a free search
engine that locates scientific information on the Internet.
Scirus delivers relevant search results because it focuses
on scientific information only, indexes complete documents,
searches the whole Web including access-controlled sites,
and reads non-text files like PDF
At this stage Scirus covers more than 60 million science
related pages from the Web as well as membership sources
such as ScienceDirect, MEDLINE on BioMedNet, Beilstein on
ChemWeb and Neuroscion. This is only the beginning - Scirus
aims to include more databases in the near future.
http://www.scirus.com/?c
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DESIGN RESEARCH SOCIETY
The Design Research Society is the multi-disciplinary
international learned society for the design research community.
DRS was founded in 1967, and since then has established a
record of significant achievements in contributing to design
knowledge.
DRS has facilitated an international design research network in
35 countries comprising members who maintain contact through the
publications and activities of the Society. Members are drawn
from diverse backgrounds, not only from the traditional areas of
design, ranging from fine art to engineering, but also from
subjects like psychology and computer science.
Our interests include:
o recognising design as a creative act common to many
disciplines
o understanding research and its relationship with education
and practice
o advancing the theory and practice of design
We realise these by:
o encouraging the development of scholarship and knowledge in
design
o contributing to the development of doctoral education and
research training
o sharing knowledge across the boundaries of design disciplines
o facilitating networks to exchange and communicate ideas,
experience and research findings among members
o disseminating research findings
o promoting awareness of design research
o organising and sponsoring conferences, and publishing
proceedings
o encouraging communications between members internationally
o responding to consultative documents
o collaborating with other bodies
o lobbying on behalf of members' research interests
o recognising excellence in design research through awards
o sponsoring email discussion groups and a monthly emailed
newsletter
Membership of DRS provides:
o regular communications about research activities worldwide
o reduced subscription to Design Studies, the international
journal for design research in engineering, architecture,
products and systems. Design Studies is published by
Elsevier in cooperation with DRS
o reduced fees to DRS sponsored events
o representation of the design research community and members'
interests
o a means of identifying and contacting other members
o an opportunity to contribute to the international design
research community
For further details and an application form, contact the
membership secretary:
Professor Robert Jerrard, School of Design Research, Birmingham
Institute of Art and Design, University of Central England,
Corporation Street, Birmingham, UK B4 7DX
email: [log in to unmask]
or the interactive form at http://www.drs.org.uk
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ELECTRONIC SERVICES OF THE DESIGN RESEARCH SOCIETY
o Design Research News is the electronic newsletter of the
Design Research Society. It communicates news about
research throughout the world. It is mailed automatically
at the beginning of each month and is free. You may
subscribe at the following site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/design-research.html
o DRS is a discussion list open for unmoderated discussion
on all matters related to design research. You may
subscribe at the following site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/drs.html
o PHD-DESIGN is a discussion list open for unmoderated
discussion on all matters related to the PhD in design.
Topics include philosophies and theories of design, research
methods, curriculum development, and relations between
theory and practice. You may subscribe at the following site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/phd-design.html
o Full information about the Design Research Society may be
found at:
http://www.drs.org.uk
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CONTRIBUTIONS
Information to the editor Dr David Durling, Director, Advanced
Research Institute, Staffordshire University, UK.
<[log in to unmask]>
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