Passion Fruit
Where does passion fit in designing?
If designing is thought of as a mainly cognitive rational process, it
probably doesn't.
But if designing is conceived as a valuing process, an integrated conative,
affective, cognitive process, such evaluative descriptors of intent, desire
and commitment find their place.
Which existing situations are worthy of being transmuted into preferred
ones? The ones worthy of our attention. The significant ones. The ones
that matter. Mattering is the constant shadow evaluation that modernism
misses. Interests/matter. There is a constant unshakable flip-side, even
when you're not tuned up to notice.
We know that it takes a major commitment from both designer and client to
stay the course of formative work. Which situations then, what manner of
issues draw this form of commitment and sustain the effort? The ones we
care about the most, the ones that matter the most to us, the ones we might
even say we are passionate about.
Certain authors, who obviously have a passion for explaining all about
design and designing, will no doubt appreciate this irony.
LOL,
Jerry
On 2/26/09 9:29 PM, "klaus krippendorff" <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> chris,
> i agree that design can be a passion. but it is too cognitive to become
> lost in its process as one could in downhill skiing, video game playing, or
> flying a glider, all of which involve the whole body and when mastered is
> almost entirely intrinsically motivating -- flow
> klaus
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chris Rust [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chris
> Rust
> Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 3:36 AM
> To: Klaus Krippendorff
> Subject: Re: Passion
>
> Klaus Krippendorff wrote:
>> i agree, passion, as a very personal emotion, is not very interesting
>> to designers.
>
> Klaus has opened up a good additional aspect here (thanks) but I'll just
> clarify my original meaning so there's no confusion.
>
> In saying that passion does not figure much in debates on designing I was
> mainly concerned with the way we think about designing and designers rather
> than their products. We may discuss designing as an analytical act, a
> creative act, a problem-solving act, a designerly act and many more but I'm
> not sure there has been so much said about it being a passionate act.
> Nevertheless my own experience as a designer seems to have been a very
> passionate one, even when dealing with quite mundane objects and problems.
>
> As I am convinced that designing is a craft I need to go back and read
> Richard Sennett again to see whether he uses the concept of passion at all
> but I think even he tends to talk about community and rigour rather than
> passion (as I say I'll need to check and I'd be pleased to be proved wrong)
>
> This has arisen because Bernd Ploderer arrived here as an HCI researcher
> who had identified passion as a feature of the particular online community
> (bodybuilders) he was studying. His characterisation of passion seemed to
> resonate with something we had observed in mature craftspeople and other
> expert communities. We were interested in whether their communal learning
> strategies, which seemed to be driven by "passionate" engagement, could be
> introduced to less mature design students.
>
> Thanks to everybody who has contributed ideas so far, which have been really
> helpful in forming a potential agenda for some research. Equally
> interestingly, the contributions have told us or reminded us of the
> different inclinations and preoccupations of the members of this fascinating
> group.
>
> Sometimes people say, and I sometimes agree, that the email load and the
> endless complicated debates that we have on PhD-Design are just too much
> trouble and not particularly helpful. Then you ask a question here and get a
> pile of generous useful answers and you know why you are a member.
>
> thanks
> Chris
>
> ...............................................................o^o
> Professor Chris Rust FDRS
> Head of Art and Design Research Centre
> Sheffield Hallam University, S1 2NU, UK
> +44 114 225 6772
> [log in to unmask]
> www.chrisrust.net
>
> Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future
> of the human race. - H. G. Wells
--
Jerry Diethelm
Architect - Landscape Architect
Planning & Urban Design Consultant
Prof. Emeritus of Landscape Architecture
and Community Service € University of Oregon
2652 Agate St., Eugene, OR 97403
€ e-mail: [log in to unmask]
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