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Dear All, This has been an interesting series of threads. The case of the photographer has caught my interest with regard to both the debate concerning design as verb and as a noun, and the question of whether academics of the ‘Art and Design' disciplines represent the members of ‘Design’. I suggest that the definition that a design is a specification, may lead to unsatisfactory situations. It is common to evaluate arguments according to rational demonstration or empirical experience. However, in the following I am going to take it that arguments can be evaluated according to the Rule of Justice. The Rule of Justice states that it is just to treat equal beings alike. Equal beings are not identical beings. Injustice does not result from the unequal treatment of identical beings, but from unequal treatment of different beings, the differences between whom are irrelevant in the instance (Perelman, 1977, p. 80-81). So, we can take it that the Rule of Justice is to treat beings that are not identical, that is, equal, alike. In other words: (1) Rule of Justice: Treat relevantly similar things similarly. Let us entertain a situation concerning the hypothetical Society of Real Design Researchers (SRDR) whose members practice or do research concerning a species of the genus Design. The SRDR aims to uphold the standards of learned societies and so follows the principle that legitimate councilors of societies must represent their members. So, the councilors of SRDR must practice or do research concerning a species of the genus Design, to qualify as legitimate representatives of the society’s members. (2) The species of the genus Design are not identical but equal; they share the essentially relevant characteristic of actualizing something from a design. (3) Definition 1: a design is a specification. Definition 1 is backed by the notion that it is the only definition of design that supports coherent theory construction within in the genus Design, and that coherence is a desirable quality of scientific theory. First Situation. SRDR Councilor Jones practices or does research concerning photography. It is false that Councilor Jones qualifies as a legitimate representative of the members of SRDR. Since, according to Definition 1, photography is not a species of the genus design. Given that a photograph is not actualized from a specification. Second Situation SRDR Councilor Smith practices or does research concerning baking. It is true that Councilor Smith qualifies as a legitimate representative of the members of SRDR. Since, according to Definition 1, baking is a species of the genus design. Given that bread is actualized from a recipe. Third Situation SRDR Councilor Taylor practices or does research concerning grocery shopping. It is true that Councilor Taylor qualifies as a legitimate representative of the members of SRDR. Since, according to Definition 1, grocery shopping is a species of the genus design. Given that groceries are actualized from a shopping list. ---- If we take the relevantly essential characteristic of the disciplines of Design to be that they actualize something from a specification, then following the Rule of Justice, it seems to lead to, in my opinion, the intuitively unfair situation where grocery shopping or baking counts as disciplines of Design while photography does not. This may also lead to questioning whether the notion of supporting coherent theory construction provides the right kind of reasons for backing a definition of design. Best, Luke Luke Feast, PhD Postdoctoral Researcher in Design Aalto yliopisto / Aalto University Taiteiden ja suunnittelun korkeakoulu / School of Arts, Design and Architecture Muotoilun laitos / Department of design Helsinki, Finland Perelman, C. (1977). The idea of justice and the problem of argument (J. Petrie, Trans. 3rd ed.). London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. ----------------------------------------------------------------- PhD-Design mailing list <[log in to unmask]> Discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design Subscribe or Unsubscribe at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/phd-design -----------------------------------------------------------------