Dear all,

Sorry to come so late to this. For those interested in a historical perspective, here https://drs2016.squarespace.com/240 Simone Gristwood and I discuss Bruce Archer's changing views on the potential to systematise (or even scientise) the design process.

Specifically we note Archer's early apparent belief that the requirements could be largely finalised in advance of making -- and his emerging realisation that "any effective design procedure must ... permit radical reappraisal of the problem at any stage." (Archer 1968: 6:17).

Archer's 1968 doctoral thesis is here: http://researchonline.rca.ac.uk/2949/ .

You will see (as I mentioned on this list a couple of years ago) that Archer makes use of the "solution space" idea, most visibly in Figure 2.18 on page 117. He says in Section 2.24 (p.17), "The limiting states of the properties concerned may be similarly set out according to the conventions of co-ordinates (fig 2.16). The spaces marked off by these limits indicate the field of mutually acceptable degrees of fulfilment of the co-existing objectives. Any solution whose mutual states of the associated properties lie within this field is an acceptable solution."

Not that I am claiming he used the term "solution space" when talking to clients. I would not be surprised, but I have no idea.

Stephen


Stephen Boyd Davis
Professor of Design Research
School of Design
Royal College of Art
Kensington Gore, London
SW7 2EU
Office direct line 020 7590 4343
www.rca.ac.uk
On 22/02/2018, 00:10, "PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design on behalf of [log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask] on behalf of [log in to unmask]> wrote:

    Hi All,
    
    FINAL FOOTNOTE ON A FOOTNOTE
    
    I was asked offline by Francois Nsenga to send him some examples of what I called our "all-care-and-no-responsibiliy” letters. I did so and it struck me that this might be of interest to others on this list. It gives a sense of how we work. It also addresses some comments made by Karel about invoicing.
    
    (BTW Karel, as a Life Fellow of CRI you can inspect our invoicing practices at any time. You will find them quite different to design agency billing. But I can confirm that we have never invoiced for "Searching through solution space”.
    
    The examples below are taken from emails to clients (member organisations that commissioned us to undertake projects for them). These emails are sometimes quite detailed, but I will spare you that and protect confidentiality by omitting names, organisations etc. Overall, this type of email gets sent out in about 10% of projects we undertake. It is usually accompanied by a formal request to have any reference to our organisation removed from any public reference to the project or its outcome.
    
    This is a closing paragraph which gives the client a convenient get out, which they took.
    
    > …The report you have in front of you was written to give you and your colleagues an understanding of our findings, in preparation for us doing some detailed work on the actual design to guide you through the next stage. It is not a document intended for external use. We would only prepare such a document at the end of a project not at this midway point. If you want to use it for external use, it would be written in a different manner. Of course, you may decide that this is the moment you want to terminate our involvement. That is your prerogative. If you do want it restructured at this stage let me know asap and we will make the necessary changes to it’s structure, but our findings stand.
    
    
    Here is another,
    
    > …There is a small problem here. You are asking me to endorse, as part of my report, matters that are not supported by the evidence. I have indicated what these are.
    >
    > I did indicate that I thought going ahead with the changes before completion of our work was not a good idea.
    >
    > How do you want to proceed?
    
    We completed our report, omitting their changes and only presented the ones we recommended.
    
    
    David
    --
    
    
    blog: http://communication.org.au/blo <http://communication.org.au/blo>g/
    web: http://communication.org.au <http://communication.org.au/>
    
    Professor David Sless BA MSc FRSA
    CEO • Communication Research Institute •
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