Hi all,
I agree with Terry's analysis of some of the early design
'theoreticians' including many of the names that appear regularly on
this list as the 'founding fathers' of design.
I suggest there are already a number of people doing this kind of
work, looking to fields/disciplines outside design, and importantly,
beyond the those from the natural sciences for theoretical insights
that might be rethought in the context of design. Design is not the
only 'professional practice' that is currently establishing its
scholarly boundaries. Research into/on/about/for/through PRACTICE is
alive and struggling (in a good way) in education, nursing, law, and
other 'non-creative' fields. We could do well to look to these fields
as fellow travellers as they also seek to establish new theory,
relevant to THEIR practices. What I mean is well-considered
empirical, conceptual, well reasoned (not just 'rational'), well
argued theories about design, supported by 'evidence', as any number
of social processes constituted in and by different populations for
any number of reasons, applications and purposes, with a range of
different implications for 'design' and the constituting populations.
These people may not be those regularly cited on this list. They may
be among the 'self-analysing' PhD students, who engage in lively
conversations while presenting work-in-progress papers at small
conferences, and publish in low ranking journals (if they get a
chance and are supported to develop their writing skills). As some of
you may be aware, my own (continuing) PhD draws on feminist and
poststructuralist theories and philosophies to examine the
foundational, and as Terry suggests, 'speculative' theories in
design. I do not advocate that we ignore these early theorists who
were doing pioneering work in a pioneering time. However, I do think
there is space for opening up other kinds of conversations that
challenge, or even sidestep (with a solemn and brief nod of
acknowledgement) these ideas. This is particularly as many of us are
'teaching' students to question and challenge 'conventional design
wisdoms' even as conventions change.
cheers, teena
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