Ken Friedman in his paper "Theory Construction in Design Research.
Criteria, Approaches, and Methods." (In Common Ground. Proceedings of
the DRSIC at Brunel University, Sep 5-7, 2002. David Durling and John
Shackleton,
Editors. Stoke on Trent, UK: Staffordshire University Press.)
has meticulously laid the grounds for theory construction in Design
research. A set of theories are the first step in creating grounds for
creation of a knowledge base in Design. My question is "What constitutes
a knowledge base in Design? or rather what should constitute the knowledge
base. Other professions like Medicine have built their knowledge bases
over a period of time from both personal experience gathered from practice
as well as deliberate experimentation ( Research) on the human body. It is
the human body that has provided the common ground for Doctors around which
they have built a knowledge base science centuries. No doubt they have
interpolated from other bases such as biology and chemistry. One wonders
what could it be in the case of Design ? I am tempted to answer the
question as " The human mind" (Cognitive sciences point of view). Would I be
correct in stating so? Ontological methods techniques and tools for Design
will emerge faster, so will a knowledge base that can knit itself into
place. A knowledge base for Design , in my view will have three levels
viz.; Abstract level, (Philosophical), Practice level (Cultural), and
Application level (Creation level). As of now only the human mind connects
all the three. What gets excluded ? Any better way to put this is welcome.
Pradeep Yammiyavar
Principal research Scientist
Industrial Design
Indian Institute of Science
Bangalore , India.
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