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Susan, I appear to have the go ahead, and you certainly have the go ahead. > His observation echoes the way I understand design. It is an > indeterminant situation with many possible solutions -- some better and > some worse. > > But within that indeterminant space, we can find principles of practice > useful for creative exploration, principles that are also receptive to > the > constraints of the situation. Yes you are right to point this out. I was not suggesting that we take the situation of design thinking 'as is'. Systematic inquiry will no doubt lead to new and useful knowledge about designers' creative thinking. I was trying - probably poorly - to overturn the idea that systematic design will necessarily be an improvement on the ways that designers think at the moment. Sometimes, a better understanding may well lead to new and/or systematic ways of designing, but I hang on to the belief that, for example, intuitive ways of working - in a suitable context and applied in a suitable way - will continue to be utilised by certain kinds of designers. > When I read the proposal, I was struck by the omission of graphic or > communication design as it leaves unexplored my own favorite area, > visual/verbal design. Gunnar Swanson has also raised this, and I too would like to hear UCI's view. As Gunnar suggests, these are often large programmes - here at Stoke, graphic design is easily the largest single course. Where we hover around 25-35 in most cohorts, graphics once took 100 students, and still is around 80 or so now. > These intellectual skills have in no way meant an > end to the pursuit of traditional skills or the abandonment of the > master/apprentice learning experience. I agree that the traditional > skills > must be passed on. I am glad to hear this. I guess this bears out my belief that it is not either/or but can be both traditional skills AND intellectual inquiry. Your description of tutors at work reminded me of the RCA in London when I was a student - transferring from a college with a reputation for very woody furniture, to the RCA in industrial design opened my eyes to so many possibilities. > Theory and practice > find synthesis here. One has not replaced the other. I think that Dick > might agree with me. I guess he would. Thank you for these thoughts. David ARi_____________________________________________ Dr David Durling Director, Advanced Research Institute Staffordshire University Stoke on Trent, ST4 2XN, UK tel: +44 (0)1782 294556 (direct) tel: +44 (0)1782 294602 (ARi office) fax: +44 (0)1782 294530 email: [log in to unmask] web: http://www.ari.staffs.ac.uk ________________________________________________