I have received offlist messages encouraging me to keep going, so I feel
better taking up some space again.
Since others (including Erik and Harold) are interested in discussing
works from Design Research, but Terry has declined to host a session, I
would like to give it a shot (not to host a discussion, but to start it)
...
I have read 'The Design Way' by Harold Nelson and Erik Stotlerman and
three reviews on the book. The review by Terry Love is generally
positive. The review by Anna-Maria Willis is generally negative. The
third review by Marc. J. De Vries (International Journal of Technology
and Design (2005) 3: pp293-296) is even.
I find the De Vries' review most interesting and would like to use it as
a means to raise some questions. De Vries characterizes 'The Design Way'
as a philosophy of design which is a positive contribution to design
literature which tends to focus on how-to. But as a philosophical text,
'The Design Way' is fairly isolated from mainstream philosophical
discourse. For example, the key concept 'intention' has been explored in
Philosophy extensively but is not referenced in 'The Design Way'. Or
'real' and 'ideal' carry different meanings in 'The Design Way' than
what are traditionally understood in philosophical discourse.
The most serious critique (from my point of view) is that De Vires
questions the claim that A culture of 'inquiry and action' as a new
philosophical tradition is defined and promoted by design. In his
opinion, Larry Hickman's 'John Dewey: Philosopher of Technology' has
demonstrated that this philosophy can be found in Dewey.
My questions are :
1 Does philosophy of technology already cover the (common, future,
wonder) ground for design disourse/research into the nature of design?
(How) Can Design Research break new ground?
2 Wittgenstein has once remarked that philosophising leaves everything
as it was, except previous philosophy. Does a philosophy of design have
the same characteristic? If yes, is it appropriate to pursuit it within
Design Research? Should it be left to professional philosophers?
3 What are the prospects of writing/doing a design philosophy outside
the professional philosophical discourse? (e.g. David Sless's proposal
below:
• "Philosophy as Design"
http://www.communication.org.au/html/paper_33.html
• "Designing Philosophy"
Common Ground. Proceedings of the Design Research Society International
Conference at Brunel University, September 5-7, 2002.
4 Is Design Research giving way to other ways?
Best Regards, Rosan
|