A/S— Let's try again: Chris' call for research approach (Re: It's still a research question)
Me Kirk, Hi.
I don’t normally participate in these conversations—I’m a sleeper, I’m not quite in the same league as you people, but I do have opinion.
This may have little to add to this discourse, but the repeated use of Analysis/Synthesis disturbs me, always has, ever since I was a little graduate. We’re talking problem solving here. Problem, analysis, synthesis, implementation, verification and its many forms, interpretations theories and empirical truths.
It’s not unique to design, buy any means. I know this by experience, I was once a nurse and we used a similar model for planning care for patients as it was required, in that case, Problem, plan, implementation, evaluation. It seems to work at a certain level, though there are other models. See Mayer, RE 1983, Thinking, Problem Solving and Cognition, 1 edn, W.H. Freeman and Company, New York.
Kosslyn, SM & Rosenberg, RS 2004, Psychology: The Brain, the Person, the World, 2 edn, Pearson Education, Inc., Boston.
There are, will be more, it’s a big subject from many a perspective and a mystery.
What I don’t get is why, still the concept of conjecture is not part of the lexicon of problem solving; with particular relevance to designing the artiface. As the graphically orientated, I have a hunch, intuition that conjecture is a major player in the problem solving process during the wayfinding from problem (brief) to the final artefact of communication. To me it seems obvious, but that’s my interpretation and there are many so don’t hold it against me, I am entitled to it, it’s the nature of being.
I may not be able to convince you but refer you I can:
Firstly the mega-brain Karl Popper who suggested in his model of problem solving:
Popper, KM 1996, The Myth of the Framework: In Defence of Science and Rationality, Routledge, London.
Popper, KM 2000, Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge, 1989 edn, Routledge, London, and not to be too biased an alternative view of the situation by;
Bamford, G 2002, 'From Analysis/Synthesis to Conjecture/Analysis: A Review of Karl Poppers Influence on Design Methodology in Architecture.' Design Studies, vol. 23, no. 3, May, 2002, pp. 245-261.
Schenck, P 1991, 'The Role of Drawing in the Graphic Design Process', Design Studies, vol. 2, no. 3, July 1991, pp. 168-181.
Gedenryd, H 1998, How Designers Work, 1 edn, Lund University of Cognitive Studies, Lund.
Designers play hunches, guesswork, what-about-this, what-would-this-look-like, repeatedly—hell, I should know I am a designer, and a good one at that, and before you ask, I don’t go in for self gratifying competitions. I know if I’ve done a good job or a bad job, I am my own worst enemy—judge.
Well, thankyou for tuning into this channel.
Kirk...out!
University of South Australia
