 |
 |
Terry, I'd have to answer both 'yes' and 'no'. :) You seem to be suggesting visualizing in terms of shape & appearance. In that sense, I would say visualizing is a hindrance because it biases one to certain features of a design and not to others. However, taken more broadly - visualizing /information/ and not just shape or appearance, I would say that visualization is fundamentally important as an alternative to text-based descriptions. My experience is that visualization of information (not just a design's shape or appearance) can be incredibly useful to designers. Of course, all this relates also to the nature of the design. Some designs are fundamentally about visual appearance. Others are not. Cheers. Fil On 7 April 2010 22:12, Terence Love <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > A question: Are visual approaches outdated in addressing contemporary > design problems? > > Are visual approaches more of a hindrance than a help? Does the use of > visually-based approaches to design encourage design failures and naff > design solutions? > > Contemporary design problems are multi-dimensional. They are characterised > by having lots of factors, lots of stakeholders and lots of relationships > with other technologies. In other words lots of dimensions of design > considerations. > > Visual approaches, however, are characterised by a paradigm of > understanding > shaped by 2 or 3 dimensions. When used to represent factors other than the > obvious t3 Dimensions of space, they can only represent 3 factors of a > design at a time. > > MY personal experience is visual approaches are often way too limiting in > design of multi-dimensional contemporary design situations. Worse, visual > or > graphics approaches to modern design problems tend to force everything to > be reshaped to 2 or 3 dimensions and to force a kind of thinking limited to > 2 or 3 dimensions. This corrupts the hell out of trying to understand > complex design situations and create better designs. > > I'm wondering if it might be better to see the role of visual/graphic > approaches as peripheral and predominately located at both ends of design > activity: gathering information from stakeholders and defining appearance > of > the final outcomes. > > Is anyone else seeing the same issues? > > Best wishes, > Terry > ____________________ > > Dr. Terence Love, FDRS, AMIMechE, PMACM > > Director Design-focused Research Group, Design Out Crime Research Group > Researcher, Digital Ecosystems and Business Intelligence Institute > Associate, Planning and Transport Research Centre > Curtin University, PO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia 6845 > Mob: 0434 975 848, Fax +61(0)8 9305 7629, [log in to unmask] > Visiting Professor, Member of Scientific Council > UNIDCOM/ IADE, Lisbon, Portugal > Honorary Fellow, Institute of Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development > Management School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK > ____________________ > -- Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng. Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Ryerson University 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada Tel: 416/979-5000 ext 7749 Fax: 416/979-5265 Email: [log in to unmask] http://deseng.ryerson.ca/~fil/