A response to David Sless, to Pip Ashton, and others

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Dear David,

Your latest post to the list titled "Design Research for Designers"
was quite interesting. Over the past week, I have slowly been working
on the notes I mentioned last week. I will soon enter the thread
again.

Before I do, I want to follow Pip Ashton, and Terry Love in raising
the question of good process for the list.

Last week, you wrote a note on creativity research that caught my
eye. I answered it. You responded with a sharp but fair challenge.

Your challenge raised questions that I took the time to answer carefully.

In responding to those answers, you dismissed a day of careful
writing and editing with a one-sentence note: "Ken. I bow to your
superior knowledge on all things."

This was a sarcastic way to show that you disagreed with me.
Disagreement does not bother me. What bothered me is that you
dismissed the answers you requested and never responded to the
substantive issues I raised.

As a result, I felt that there was no point answering your next
questions. This is why I did not engage with some of the next
questions you raised - including questions I thought were quite
interesting.

I expected a serious reply when I answered earlier questions. When
you dismissed me without an attempt to answer, I felt that there was
no way to know which questions you take seriously enough to answer
fairly.

We are all busy. I have as much to do as you do. I take the discourse
community of PhD-Design seriously. I take the time needed for
carefully crafted, well-supported, substantial replies. When you ask
questions, the answers are a response to your request.

You challenged my views. Fair enough. You asked me several questions.
I answered. When you ask a question, I do not ask you to agree with
my answers. I do ask a fair and honest reply. If you do not agree
with me, there is no need to "bow to [my] superior knowledge." Why
not just say you disagree and say why?

If you quote me to disagree with my views, I ask that you quote me
fairly. I was not irritated by the fact that you disagreed with me. I
was irritated because you took words and phrases out of context to
represent views I do not hold.

My dissatisfaction with this thread and my decision not to respond to
recent questions has to do with polemical style and not with the
substantive issues that have been brought forward.

As I wrote last weekend, I have slowly been working on responses to
some of the issues in the thread. You wrote - and I hope you were not
sarcastic - that you look forward to my thoughts. You will have them.
Good writing takes time. This is especially the case for
well-documented answers that allow others to follow the evidence.

During the past week, I have been writing. Now that the debate is
cooling down, we can address substantive issues. I will answer your
latest note. I will also respond to equally interesting notes by
Michael Biggs, Stephen Scrivener, Chris Rust, Aren Kurtgozu, and
Peter Storkerson.

I hope that we will avoid the heat of polemics and sarcasm. I felt
the political discussion was unnecessary, particularly when
attributing motives to the authors of some ideas. For my part, I
regret using needlessly sharp and provocative language at some
points. I should not have used your words to tweak you. I apologize
for my intemperate tone.

I did not withdraw from the debate because of your views. Your views
interest me. It was the polemic style that I found irritating.

This list has much to offer our entire community. We are a community
here, and the list links a group of friends and colleagues who have
been meeting and working together for many years. Some of us know
each other well. Some of us do not know each other at all. We should
nevertheless be able to converse.

You raise interesting issues in your recent post. I like to believe
that I raise interesting issues. I hope that we can address issues
rather than persons.

Yours,

Ken

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Ken Friedman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Leadership and Strategic Design
Department of Leadership and Organization
Norwegian School of Management

Visiting Professor
Advanced Research Institute
School of Art and Design
Staffordshire University