Hi David,
Thank you again for the reminder about the extensive new design research in
craft-based design.
I'd like to put some thoughts together about the second point that was
implicit in your message.
My comments about complex systems design do not apply to design education
aimed purely at craft-based Art and Design. Nor do they apply to design
situations, design education and design theory relating to designs in
situatiosn that have less than 2 feedback loops.
My concern, however, is for students or design practitioner who think that
complex systems design with more than 2 feedback loops can be addressed
using the tools that are taught in craft-based design schools or design
schools that focus on design situations with less that 2 feedback loops.
It's a serious concern that many design schools are setting their students
up to fail as well as compromising the design field as a whole. They do
this by advertising that their students will be able to design in complex
system realms; explicitly listing design areas, products issues or services
that require complex systems design tools, yet only teaching tools that do
not work in these arenas.
I'm flagging what I see is a serious problem for the field as a whole. It's
obvious that many design professionals and design educators do not see the
problem. My feeling is that this is a blindness in the field due to the
investment by the field in traditions and cultures that are of a simpler
design era. It echoes the attitudes of many in the design field to research,
and he common belief that design methods and design theory have not had the
massive effect on design that has occurred.
An appropriate strategy to explore this further would be to develop a design
research subfield researching whether designers outputs align with what
designers intended. Initially, it would offer the opportunity for a special
edition in a design research journal.
All the best,
Terry
____________________
Dr. Terence Love, FDRS, AMIMechE, PMACM
Director Design-focused Research Group, Design Out Crime Research Group
Researcher, Digital Ecosystems and Business Intelligence Institute
Associate, Planning and Transport Research Centre
Curtin University, PO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia 6845
Mob: 0434 975 848, Fax +61(0)8 9305 7629, [log in to unmask]
Visiting Professor, Member of Scientific Council
UNIDCOM/ IADE, Lisbon, Portugal
Honorary Fellow, Institute of Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development
Management School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
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