Dear Francois,
The relationship between design and mathematics is always interesting and complicated topic.
Especially, it is a hot topic to investigate how we can educate design student sin terms of mathematic.
You can access our article that discuss this topic via
Ozcan O., Akarun L., “Mathematics and Design Education“, Design Issues, MIT Press, 2001 Vol:17, no:3, pp.26‐34
http://www.academia.edu/223338/Ozcan_O._Akarun_L._Mathematics_and_Design_Education_Design_Issue_MIT_Press_2001_Vol_17_no_3_pp.26-34
Best
--
Oguzhan Özcan, professor in design
Design Lab. | Koc University
Department of Media and Visual Arts
MDes/PhD in Design, Technology Society Program
On Sep 10, 2013, at 10:25 AM, Terence Love <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Dear Francois,
>
> Thank you for your message and kind words.
>
> My apologies if you felt I was making people feel guilty about not using
> maths. The situation was rather the opposite, I have been resisting a
> weight of social pressure against my research findings over the last three
> decades that there are limits to what can be creatively designed in mind,
> using sketches and social interactions, and that mathematics offers a way
> past these very concrete limits to human abilities.
>
> What you ask is both interesting and revolutionary. You are asking for a way
> of teaching and learning Mathematics appropriate to extending and improving
> creative human design activity in the Art and Design realms.
>
> This is a considerable challenge. For most fields, elements of knowledge
> are relatively independent. One can learn about colour issues independently
> of typography and vice versa. One can learn the medieval history of France
> relatively independently of the 20th century history of Iceland etc. In
> mathematics, however, there are often long strands and sequences of learning
> in which elements build on each other and missing elements mean nothing is
> gained from study of elements further up the sequence. Some of these
> sequences take years to learn.
>
> What you are asking is the development of a designer-focused mathematics
> curriculum from easy to advanced that:
> 1. Is specific and appropriate to extending the creative boundaries of
> design activity
> 2. draws on the benefits of advanced mathematics
> 3. Can be undertaken by individual designers or taught in university design
> schools at undergraduate level to students with very little Mathematics
> prior learning
> 4. Can be gained in a relatively short time (the usual way takes around 20
> years)
>
> Clearly traditional mathematics education is not likely to offer the above
> solution.
>
> Careful choice of concepts and techniques focusing solely on addressing the
> limitations of designers in addressing complex situations might be a
> possibility.
>
> I would be interested in being part of a team that developed this. It would,
> however, require funding.
>
> This is not the first time an attempt has been made to gain the benefits of
> mathematics in Design without the effort of 20 years of study. The more
> obvious cases are almost hidden, and include the automation of design
> activities and design optimisation in software.
>
> A development perhaps more in line with what you seem to be asking was
> undertaken by a team headed by Jay Forrester of MIT.
> You might find it interesting and useful. I do. It is appropriate to degree
> level even though aimed at kindergarten to year 12. This is not insulting
> and you will see what I mean if you look through it. The URL of the course
> is http://clexchange.org/curriculum/roadmaps.asp
>
> Best wishes and thanks for the challenge ,
> Terry
>
> ---
> Dr Terence Love
> PhD(UWA), BA(Hons) Engin. PGCEd, FDRS, AMIMechE, PMACM, MISI
>
> Honorary Fellow
> IEED, Management School
> Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
>
> Director,
> Love Services Pty Ltd
> PO Box 226, Quinns Rocks
> Western Australia 6030
> Tel: +61 (0)4 3497 5848
> Fax:+61 (0)8 9305 7629
> [log in to unmask]
> --
>
>
>
>
>
> -----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 Francois
> Nsenga
> Sent: Saturday, 7 September 2013 6:05 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Maths for Design
>
> Dear Terry
>
> Along the thread on 'the word "Designer" being perhaps the problem', and
> commenting on sketching and drawing, you wrote:
>
> "...there are many levels and aspects to maths. In the main, school maths is
> simple and deterministic. Creativity comes with more advanced kinds of
> maths. From experience, using more advanced mathematics in design work is
> as creative as any sketching activity, and almost certainly uses the same
> parts of the brain. The interesting areas of maths concerning the dynamics
> of interaction of functions and their 'shapes' and behaviours is
> particularly of use in creative design work. This is sort of the
> meta-analysis of the behaviour of functions."
>
> You finally gave us a glimpse at how Maths relate to Design, and I am glad
> you did at last; instead of incessantly burdening us with the guilt that
> most of us do not know - and never use - the Maths language. Thanks a lot
> for that and I wish you - and other mathematicians among us - would instruct
> us more on this.
>
> True indeed, most of Art and Design - studio expert - schools do not teach
> maths, especially that level of maths you refer to in your post, I guess
> they don't need it to deliver the kind of outcome they are commissioned for.
> However there is now a growing number among us who are viewing and
> practicing Design, neither as art nor as studio, but as a scientific
> activity. Perhaps then, for these latter, the level of maths you are
> referring to is crucially needed for the quality of outcome expected of
> them? Could you please elaborate more on this, and tell us how that level
> maths can effectively and best be taught and learned?
>
> Many thanks in advance!
>
> Francois
> (Now in Kigali, Rwanda)
>
>
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