This is interesting to me, because I always thought of the 'original'
automobile (arguably that of Ford) to be a not-particularly-radical
redesign of a horse-drawn carriage. In other words, I've never thought
of the 'original' car design as 'essential' or 'fundamental'.
...I'm not sure what this means with respect to the 'redesigning the
car' discussion.
Just 2 cents.
Cheers.
Fil
Rosan Chow wrote:
> Dear Chris
>
> Thanks for your appreciation...I need it! I would like to take up your challenge knowing that mine is not an unfamiliar proposal
> desperately needing promotion.
>
> As you mentioned (in relation to designing cars), design is (mostly) redesign, sometimes toward something better, often toward small
> incremental differences (not necessarily better). The original design is 'fundamental'. In more philosophical terms, the original
> design is 'essential' and the subsequent redesigns are 'accidental'. To redesign an automobile, however interesting and challenging
> the changes are, the changes are not 'substantial' (not a change in 'substance', only in 'form').
>
> Something that replaces the cars, for example, however, will be quite a fundamental change. This will require designers/design
> researchers taking on the task of interpreting/abstracting the essential meanings of cars to conceive and realize 'products' that
> suit particular local situations and circumstances and develop them with various stakeholders. I think, this will be a designerly
> approach.
>
> Central to this approach is the acceptance/assumption that fundamental/basic research does not necessarily entail generalizablity -
> applicable to all situations. Secondly, it is future-oriented, drawing upon the cultivated talents of designers to make concrete
> proposals. Thirdly, it is assumed that what is more important to design/design research is not knowing what is the same/general but
> what is different/particular. Subsequently, it is assumed that design research will be seriously concerned with 'culture',
> 'communication', and 'language' and will take us to these fields of knowledge.
>
> Rosan
--
Prof. Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Ryerson University Tel: 416/979-5000 x7749
350 Victoria St. Fax: 416/979-5265
Toronto, ON email: [log in to unmask]
M5B 2K3 Canada http://deseng.ryerson.ca/~fil/
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