Dear Rosan,
Interesting. I've never before come across 'specification' being used in the manner you suggest but I can see it makes linguistic sense.
My concern is that your specification/context loop and the deductions seems to assume symmetric equivalence between 'a specification' and 'a design'.
One way of seeing things that avoids a lot of theory problems is to regard a specification as something that could be the outcome of many different activities - one of which is design. Having a specification doesn't imply that any design activity was done. For example, a UK company I came across created specifications for products without any formal design work. Industrial espionage and the use of tiny cameras that could photograph A1 plans was the main process.
In contrast, the path from design activity to specification is much firmer . Sucessful design activity _always_ results in a specification.
Best wishes,
Terry
-----Original Message-----
From: Rosan Chow
Sent: 14/08/2005 8:15 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: a specific proposal that fits?
Dear Klaus, Terry and others,
A small elaboration/clarification and a comment/question:
I use 'specification' to describe the aim/objective of design in my
dissertation where I contrast it with that of modern science.In other words,
'specification' is contrasted with 'generalization'. I am toying this pair of
concepts with others that are often used to describe designing:
determined|undetermined, actual|potential, existent|non-existent and
concrete|abstract. The more specific, the more determined, actual, existent and
concrete. In the sense that I use 'specification', a proposal is a (type of)
specification.
But a specific proposal must FIT to a specific/proposed CONTEXT to be called a
design? Having suggested that, i believe there is not necessarily a fix
temporal order between a specific proposal and a specific context for them to
appear. In other words, a context doesn't necessarily exist before a proposal.
By implication, purpose or having a sense of purpose (intention) doesn't
necessarily come before a design.
Best regards,
Rosan
|