Dear Colleagues
I don't have the time to make long or sustained contributions, but I do try
to read as many of the posts as I can. As the threads after 'common ground'
progressed, I have become increasingly irritated (perhaps an effect of
travelling 12,000 miles from UK to oz, or something I ate). As this is
general irritation, I don't want to single out any individual for special
mention. If the cap fits....
When I made a modest contribution earlier, I said
> in our field of information design there are
> PROVEN ways in which we can improve our ability
> to design, and we have, along with others,
> done research which provides that proof. And we
> continue to do such research.
I had no particular expectations, but I did think that someone might have
honed in on specifics, such as research data, case studies etc. Instead, the
list seems to have gone off on yet another spiral of opinionated
abstractions involving, among other things, hypothetical fried eggs.
As a designer and, indeed as a researcher, I deal in very concrete things,
whether they are artefacts, methods, or ways of thinking. These are the
objects and tools of my trade. It worries me greatly that the kinds of
debates going on on this list seem to spiral into abstractions rather than
focusing on the concrete aspects of our trade and the apprenticeships we
hope to encourage, as it were.
I'm anxious to grow our field by sharing research and design experience with
others, particularly the next generation of researchers and designers. But I
seriously wonder whether the spirals of abstraction help?
Am I alone?
David
--
Professor David Sless
BA MSc FRSA
Co-Chair Information Design Association
Senior Research Fellow Coventry University
Director
Communication Research Institute of Australia
** helping people communicate with people **
PO Box 398 Hawker
ACT 2614 Australia
Mobile: +61 (0)412 356 795
phone: +61 (0)2 6259 8671
fax: +61 (0)2 6259 8672
web: http://www.communication.org.au
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