Dear Keith and Ken
thanks for your thoughts.
ok keith, explain is to make plain. got that one.
ken, you wrote: "I will vote with Rosan in seeking causal explanation as one component of design knowledge."
but my point is 'useful explanation' not 'causal explanation'. (by the way, why did you use 'causal explanation' instead of just 'explanation'? - this is a sincere question.)
underlying your post that argues for explanatory theories is that explanatory theories are necessarily useful (for design).
but a point i have never made clear (because it was hidden from me then) is that an explanation can be true but not useful in and of itself. someone has to make use of it. someone has to draw implications and materialize it in some forms in order for it to be useful.
making useful explanatory theories can be a form of design knowledge.
david: you note just came in. thanks
best regards rosan
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Rosan Chow
Sessional Instructor
University of Alberta
Department of Art and Design
3-98 Fine Arts Building
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T6G 2C9
Tel:1-780-492-7877
Fax: 1-780-492-7870
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