Thanks GK.
But Simon's window shopping is not shopping. Window shopping, unlike shopping for something, is instead a walking about the malls to see what is interesting, a kinds of search, exploration, and is hence that divergent thrust in Simon's thinking rather than the convergent one. Simon's able to explain the need for various forms of divergent thinking with a bit of psychology and philosophy and decision theory. I find that very helpful, because, ok so divergent thinking is what is part of the designer's epistemological repertoire - but why? Simon says: It's bounded rationality (empirically supported an idea), cos we dont have the wits to optimize, and if we are able to find one solution to satisfice we are lucky but before several means in complex scenarios we don;t know which is optimal, which is the best, and later in life, he talks about the incommensurability of preferential ends, which is also included in his conception of rationality;s boundaries, and if ends are commensurable, optimization, choosing the best of these ends is irrational. IT's very interesting cos critiques of consequentialist utilitarianism who dont read Simon also develop in parallel the same criticism, for instance in law, John Finnis attacks economic analysis of law in similar ways. But back to Simon, it's part of a "Science"of design , rigorous theory of design decision making (at least according to him) that we need divergent thinking. So Simon's design / decision theory is about how the homo economicus actually CANNOT decide! No right answer. keep searching.
But for OTHER DT, why would you all focus on that kind of divergent thinking projects? IS there a kind of sense of a warrant for celebrating these, and putting them into a book? What might that kind of warrant be? Your theoretical justification for that different, other direction would be interesting and helpful to lay out.
Jude
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From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of GK VanPatter | NextD [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2013 2:33 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The OTHER Design Thinking / Call For Participants
Hi Jude: Regarding your "not fixed on a goal" and "preferences change...like wine tasting". Not exactly.
To state this slightly differently: Shopping implies deciding upon a range that already exists. It is true that Herbert Simon was very interested in convergent thinking theory, deciding theory.
The process that we are looking for examples of typically involves not only the deciding but also the generation of the challenges (divergent thinking theory).
National Institute of Education (Singapore) http://www.nie.edu.sg
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