Gunnar asked a very pertinent question 'Is design always innovative?'
The renowned praxiologist, Gasparski, once made a convincing argument
for a taxonomy of design which may be used to illustrate the
epistemological difficulty of expressing a simple definition of design.
Prophylactic, Therapeutic and Innovational ideas of design may arise
from incommensurable views of the nature of practical situations in the
world in which we may decide to intervene.
The imperfection of my working definition reflects this difficulty as
well as any:
Design is: 'the exploration for and specification of realizable
possibilities for change in the material culture'.
refs:
Gasparski, W. W. 'On the General Theory (Praxiology) of Design'
(Department of Praxiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 1985)
Matthews, G. M. 'The Moment of Design' (257-8)and 'Being at the Turning
Point' (258-64) in Museum.Design.Organization: an exploration of
spatialities and a project in modelling museum design activity,
(doctoral thesis, University of Hull, 1996)
Dr Geoff Matthews
Design for Exhibition & Museums
Lincoln School of Architecture
University of Lincoln
Brayford Pool
Lincoln LN6 7TS
UK
T: +44 (0) 1522 837139
F: +44 (0) 1522 837155
E: [log in to unmask]
http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/architecture/staff/155.asp
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