thanks,
kari-hans,
for the confirming note. it reminds me that i should have mentioned design for designability as a fouth point in the three qualifications of professional designers as opposed to professions or disciplines that do design but not necessarily call themselves designers.
cheers
klaus
-----Original Message-----
From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kommonen Kari-Hans
Sent: Friday, April 05, 2013 4:30 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Ideas and definitions of what is "a design" in a broad sense
Dear Klaus,
Thanks for joining the discussion!
I completely agree with your points, and I want to take the opportunity to clarify that I do not see any kind of conflict between the kind of broad view I am talking about and the importance of the role of professional designers that specialize in design for others.
Quite the contrary - I believe that understanding the design that goes on in the world *without them* and *outside of their influence* is crucial for their ability to *gain influence* and simply to be good designers.
Especially, in order to be able to "design for designability", which you also discuss in the Semantic Turn and I consider as the key unavoidable transformation within the design field, at least in the areas where digital technology plays a role, designers need to develop a new kind of sensitivity to what exists on the other side. When the former "users" convert to "designers", the professional designer needs to understand their designing, and that requires an understanding of 1) their whole scene of "designs" they must be a) compatible with and b) design with, and 2) their ways and needs "to design".
cheers, KH
---
On Apr 5, 2013, at 8:06 PM, Klaus Krippendorff wrote:
> yes, MP,
>
> this is an eloquent definition of design. since you include nature in the process, this may well include random mutations. as i mentioned in the semantic turn, the very pleasure in introducing changes without intentions for a particular outcome can sometimes yield something that survives cultural selection. (but you might say that you include this possibility is part of opportunity minus the "for what").
>
>
> i wonder if this elegant generality is too helpful.
>
>
> i prefer to relate a definition of design to what professional designers (should) do. therefore, i like to:
>
> * distinguish everyday design, which humans engage in everyday life, but largely for themselves, and professional design, which is design for others.
>
> * focus design for others on making sense to those affected, being meaningful, usable, valuable, which is encapsulated by being human-centered and cultural sensitive. this qualification does not deny engineering, chemistry, even ergonomics, as involving design activity in the general sense, although rarely self-affirmed as such, and indeed indirectly benefitting other people, but not drawing on knowledge of human users and their cultures. to me the latter are central concerns for professional designers.
>
> * invoke designer's accountability - without claiming general ethical principles, which always favor established elites - to those affected by the interventions they invariably cause. designs should always (a) benefit the community of their stakeholders and users, (b) minimize unintended and undesirable constraints along other dimensions of their lives, and (c) not harm or disable communities of non-users.
>
>
>
> i don't see a conceptual conflict between the kari-hans' larger definition, and tim's more individual approach, but i do think it is necessary to focus professional designers on what they are good at, where they can make knowledgeable contributions, and for which they are appreciated.
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