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Chris "Chris RUST(SCS)" wrote: > > [log in to unmask] writes: > >Are designers in the business of creating knowledge?...........Shouldn't one > >kind of design research that educated designers" might plumb be concerned with > >envisioning possible future realities. > > 1. "Envisioning" sounds to me like producing a form of knowledge. Is it? This is what I am questioning. My view is that it doesn't matter if it isn't, because it has a value (what you discuss may be part of that value). > 2. The knowledge produced sounds more like a "hypothesis" than a "proof" and I > feel that designers are better at asking such questions than in providing > definitive answers. Part of my purpose in my previous message was to suggest > that we undervalue the question and the struggle to form it and this was one of > the ways in which designers can play a part in research. I agree that it might be conceived as hypothesising or postulating, but I don't think this could be called knowledge. > As an example, I know a designer working with clinical specialists in a field > of medicine where they believe there is potential to provide new therapy for a > difficult problem which affects a lot of people. Problem is, their aim is to > identify (and test) promising techniques from some general principles - a > substantial creative task - and the research establishment wants bids for > testing well-defined discrete techniques. Sounds an interesting distinction but I'm not quite sure what you mean. Steve -- Professor Stephen AR Scrivener VIDE Research Centre Design Institute School of Art and Design Coventry University Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK Tel: +44 (0)24 7688 7477 Fax: +44 (0)24 7688 7759 Mobile: +44 (0)7789 590 228 Email: [log in to unmask]