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David: You're not alone . . . Phil Roberts Professor P H Roberts Deputy Vice-Chancellor ----------------------------------------------------------------- Department of Design & Technology Loughborough University LOUGHBOROUGH LE11 3TU ----------------------------------------------------------------- Tele: +44(0)1509 222650 Fax: +44(0) 1509 223999 ----- Original Message ----- From: "davidsless" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2002 5:58 AM Subject: Abstractions > Dear Colleagues > > I don't have the time to make long or sustained contributions, but I do try > to read as many of the posts as I can. As the threads after 'common ground' > progressed, I have become increasingly irritated (perhaps an effect of > travelling 12,000 miles from UK to oz, or something I ate). As this is > general irritation, I don't want to single out any individual for special > mention. If the cap fits.... > > When I made a modest contribution earlier, I said > > in our field of information design there are > > PROVEN ways in which we can improve our ability > > to design, and we have, along with others, > > done research which provides that proof. And we > > continue to do such research. > I had no particular expectations, but I did think that someone might have > honed in on specifics, such as research data, case studies etc. Instead, the > list seems to have gone off on yet another spiral of opinionated > abstractions involving, among other things, hypothetical fried eggs. > > As a designer and, indeed as a researcher, I deal in very concrete things, > whether they are artefacts, methods, or ways of thinking. These are the > objects and tools of my trade. It worries me greatly that the kinds of > debates going on on this list seem to spiral into abstractions rather than > focusing on the concrete aspects of our trade and the apprenticeships we > hope to encourage, as it were. > > I'm anxious to grow our field by sharing research and design experience with > others, particularly the next generation of researchers and designers. But I > seriously wonder whether the spirals of abstraction help? > > Am I alone? > > > David > > -- > Professor David Sless > BA MSc FRSA > Co-Chair Information Design Association > Senior Research Fellow Coventry University > Director > Communication Research Institute of Australia > ** helping people communicate with people ** > > PO Box 398 Hawker > ACT 2614 Australia > > Mobile: +61 (0)412 356 795 > > phone: +61 (0)2 6259 8671 > fax: +61 (0)2 6259 8672 > web: http://www.communication.org.au > >