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DESIGN RESEARCH NEWS Volume 10 Number 8, Aug 2005 ISSN 1473-3862
DRS Digital Newsletter http://www.designresearchsociety.org
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Join DRS now via e-payment http://www.designresearchsociety.org
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CONTENTS
o Editorial
o European Charter for Researchers
o Calls
o Announcements
o Web
o Books
o The Design Research Society: information
o Electronic Services of the DRS
o Contributing to Design Research News
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Editorial
Well, we had a full house for the DRS symposium on research
quality held on 15 July 2005. Speakers discussed a number of
thorny issues relating to quality in design research. There
will be full transcripts of the speeches on the DRS website
shortly, as well as an appraisal of this important event.
The symposium was preceded by the DRS Annual General Meeting.
In the evening, the Annual Dinner was held and included
presentations to two winners of the Design Studies Award 2003
and 2004. The DRS Lifetime Achievement Award 2005 was made to
Professor Nigel Cross. Details of these awards will also be
posted on the DRS website soon.
And a reminder for anyone thinking about becoming a member of
the DRS -- signing up is now really simple via the website -
and very cheap at the moment! Go to MEMBERS then JOIN.
http://www.designresearchsociety.org
David Durling
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EUROPEAN CHARTER FOR RESEARCHERS
8-9 September 2005: The European Charter for Researchers and
the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers
Turning policy into practice: building the pool of talented
researchers to achieve Europe's goals and future innovation
Victoria Park Plaza, London SW1
This conference is one of the events in the Programme of the UK
Presidency of the European Union which runs from July to
December 2005. It is organised by the UK GRAD Programme in
collaboration with the UK Office of Science and Technology
(Department of Trade and Industry) and the UK Research Councils
and the European Commission, Directorate General for Research.
High profile speakers include Lord Sainsbury the Minister for
Science, Janez Potocnic the EU Commissioner for Science, and Sir
Gareth Roberts Chair of the Research Careers Committee.
Probably one of the largest single gatherings of senior EU
policy makers in relation to Research staff employment and
development.
What does the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of
Conduct for their Recruitment mean? Why are they important? What
are the potential benefits? What does implementation involve?
The European Commission has launched its new European Charter
for Researchers which provides a framework of general principles
and requirements for the roles, responsibilities and
entitlements of both researchers and their funders/employers.
The Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers sets out
guidelines specifically aimed at employers/funders.
Through a mix of strategic plenary presentations and practical
workshops, this conference will enable you to:
- Find out what the European Charter and Code of Conduct entail
- Identify the potential benefits for higher education
institutions (HEIs), industry and governments
- Explore the potential gains and obstacles of embedding the
Charter and Code into funding and quality assurance mechanisms
- Share good practice around applying the Charter and Code
through case studies and guided/structured discussions
- Develop networks with the key people who have a stake in the
research environment
- Identify next steps and develop personal action plans
Who will be there?
Everyone involved in developing researcher talent including:
- Rectors, Vice-Chancellors, Deans and Heads of research
institutes
- Research Directors, Heads of Departments and managers of
researchers in both academic and non-academic organisations, and
personnel responsible for funding and supporting researchers
- Human Resources and Personnel Directors in industry, research
organisations, academies, foundations and HEIs as employers and
major recruiters of researchers
- Policy makers at European level, government and
intergovernmental level, national research councils, funding
agencies, organisations and charities involved in research
- Professional associations and institutions including
government representatives and awarding bodies concerned with
the interests of researchers, postgraduate education and
employment, and relevant media representatives
http://www.grad.ac.uk/euroconference2005
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CALLS
1-2 December 2005: FEELING OUR WAY Tactile Graphics is an
international conference on diagrams, maps and pictures which
are touched rather than looked at.
Birmingham, UK. Call for abstracts closes 8 August.
http://www.nctd.org.uk/conference
6-9 September 2005: Assistive Tech conference Lille, France.
http://www.aaate2005.com
Special Theme Issue on "Movement-Based Interaction" in PERSONAL
and UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING. CALL FOR PAPERS
In this special issue we aim to bring together a diverse
community of researchers and practitioners working on
human-centred approaches to understanding movement-based
interaction and the design of technology to support this form of
interaction. We invite submissions that focus on theoretical,
methodological and empirical (design oriented) aspects of
movement-based interaction
We invite participation from a range of domains (from art to
rehabilitation) that are either informed by or that could inform
discussion on the proposed topic.
http://research.it.uts.edu.au/idwop/aarhus/special_issues.html
For more information about the journal see:
http://www.personal-ubicomp.com
Elaine Ostroff writes: NEA Funding for Universal Design
The National Endowment for the Arts has announced the Request
for Proposals for the Universal Design Leadership Project.
Proposals must be received by September 12, 2005.
This Program Solicitation requests proposals to carry out a
project that will create greater public awareness of and demand
for universal designed environments, by educating designers,
consumers, educators, developers, city planners, and others on
this important design process. The successful proposal must
outline a project that will involve collaboration with the
targeted audiences, using innovative strategies in order to meet
the broad social need, while bringing universal design into the
mainstream. The proposal selected will form the basis for a
Cooperative Agreement with the Arts Endowment and the selected
organization to carry out the project.
Eligible organizations are US non-profit organizations; units of
state or local government or federally-recognized tribal
communities or tribes. The program solicitation is attached.
For information on this solicitation, write or call:
William Hummel National Endowment for the Arts Grants &
Contracts Office 1100 Pennsylvania Ave, N. W., Washington, D.C.
20506 TELEPHONE: (202) 682 5417 Email: [log in to unmask]
27-29 September 2006: The 5th International Conference on
Design & Emotion 2006
The Design and Emotion Society and Chalmers University of
Technology - invite you to the Fifth International Conference on
Design & Emotion, in Gothenburg, Sweden
The organising committee invites abstracts on the conference's
main theme and its sub-themes. The abstract should refer to
the type of contribution:
- research paper;
- theoretical paper; or
- poster.
NEW: Call for Cases
This year, the organising committee also invites practitioners
to submit design case presentations.
The abstract should refer to the type of contribution:
- case / paper;
- case / presentation; or
- poster.
http://www.designandemotion.org/media/files/Call_for_papers_2006
.pdf
http://www.de2006.chalmers.se
For more information on the Design & Emotion society, see:
http://www.designandemotion.org
CALL FOR ELECTRONIC COMMERCE TEACHING CASES
International Journal of Cases on Electronic Commerce (IJCEC)
Official publication of the Information Resources Management
Association
With ever growing applications of electronic commerce in
organizations, one of the most powerful tools in the hands of
educators, researchers, and managers is documented case studies
on electronic commerce based on experiences of others. Cases on
electronic commerce provide insight about issues and challenges
related to the overall applications and management aspects of
electronic commerce.
http://www.idea-group.com/ijcec
14-18 November 2005: The EPSRC/AHRB funded research cluster
Embracing Complexity in Design is organising a workshop within
the European Conference on Complex Systems in Paris.
http://www.casa.ucl.ac.uk/ecid/eccs_workshop.html
13-14 March 2006: Final Call for Abstracts: New Heritage
Conference: Cultural Heritage and New Media Hong Kong.
This is a working conference that will discuss current practices
and future directions in which to expand and re-define the scope
and nature of digital media in the service of representation,
communication, and interpretation of cultural heritage. The
University of Hong Kong and the Center for New Media at UC
Berkeley are co-hosting the conference at the University of Hong
Kong. It is intended that selected papers from the proceedings
will be published in a book.
The conference will bring together a number of international
experts, who will form the core and focal point of the
conference from which wider participation will be invited.
Theme: Beyond verisimilitude; interpretation of cultural
heritage through new media Cultural heritage sites all over the
world are under threat due to tourism, aggressive urbanization,
speculative development, conflict, and general neglect. The
complement of traditional methods to cultural heritage
management has been augmented with the introduction of digital
or new media. Individual researchers, professional societies,
museums, universities, and governments have embraced computer
modeling and visualisation to create virtual reconstructions and
databases of living, threatened or lost cultural heritage sites.
These efforts have typically focused on the tangible aspects of
the site, in the form of 3D models. While these are important
components, they often fail to capture the complexity of
cultural heritage and the related social, political and economic
issues surrounding the sites or artifacts. Digital media could
be utilised for much more than re-creation and representation of
physical entities. It has the capacity to become a tool to
capture both the tangible and intangible essence of both the
cultural heritage and the society that created or used the
sites.
Abstracts are invited from those active in management, research
and development related to the application of digital tools to
cultural heritage documentation and interpretation, including
all relevant disciplines such as philosophy, history,
archaeology, interpretation, museology, anthropology and
sociology. In particular, research directions that have
theoretical and critical rather than technical focus, looking at
issues relating to cultural heritage beyond photorealism or the
replication of traditional techniques, are solicited.
The review process will be double blind, carried out by an
international committee. Please check the website for the list
of committee members.
http://newheritageforum.org/
20 January 2006: CALL FOR CONFERENCE CONTRIBUTIONS MINDPLAY - a
conference on the social, intellectual and experiential
dimensions of play and interaction in digital media environments
Group for Research in Interactive Media, London Metropolitan
University
The Group for Research in Interactive Media (GRIM) at London
Metropolitan University is pleased to announce the call for
papers for Mindplay, a one day exploration of play through
digital media theory, culture, and practice. This one day
symposium will focus on the social and experiential aspects of
why humans play; in particular the experiences of both mindful
and playful human-digital relationships, expressed in our
engagement with mobile and ubiquitous media, interactive cinema,
gameplay, spatial installations, and networked communities.
Mindplay will bring together a range of practitioners, artists
and scholars to encourage new discourses with which to talk
about play in digital media environments. It is intended as a
lively forum investigating current research issues and
practices, and engaging participants through juxtaposing a range
of diverse artistic and theoretical approaches to play in
digital media environments.
http://www.mindplay.org.uk
Information and submission : [log in to unmask]
31 July - 5 August 2006: Call for Participation 2006
Participatory Design Conference Trento, Italy
Participatory design (PD) is a diverse collection of principles
and practices aimed at making technologies and social
institutions more responsive to human needs. A central tenet of
PD is the direct involvement of people in the co-design of the
systems they use. The PD Conferences have been held every two
years since 1990. Theme of the PD Conference 2006, to be held in
Trento, Italy, from July 31 to August 5, 2006 is 'Expanding
Boundaries in Design'. The theme of the 2006 conference,
"Expanding Boundaries in Design" focuses attention on the
multiple contexts in which design takes place and on an
expanding range of possible design outcomes. While participatory
design principles and practices are most often applied to the
design of technical systems and artefacts, increasingly there is
both the need and the opportunity to focus PD approaches on
other domains, such as physical environments, organizational
practices, and IT-enabled services. Likewise, the contexts in
which PD is practiced has grown to include teams of globally
distributed designers and practitioners; actor networks that
span organizational, expertise, cultural and linguistic
difference; and activity areas beyond the workplace, such as
domestic and leisure. Finally, PD has a significant role to play
at various stages of design, from initial concept development,
to system configuration, to implementation, to integration
within the context of use, and ultimately to ongoing design in
use. This year's theme recognizes that we have an opportunity to
expand our community, our design focus and the sites for action
by bringing the principles of informed participation and social
good to an even wider audience.
The upcoming conference will bring together a multidisciplinary
and international group of researchers, software developers,
social scientists, designers, activists, practitioners, users,
citizens, cultural workers and managers who adopt distinctively
participatory approaches in the design of artefacts, systems,
services, environments and technologies. We are inviting
submissions for a diverse set of session and contribution types.
-Research Papers: (maximum 10 pages) Research papers should
report on completed research which furthers topics in
Participatory Design. Research papers will be published in the
ACM International Conference series (Deadline for submission:
January 16, 2006)
-Exploratory papers: (maximum 4 pages) Exploratory papers should
present ideas that could benefit from discussion with members of
the PD community. These papers may include work-in-progress,
experiences of reflective practitioners, and first drafts of
novel concepts and approaches. (Deadline for submission: January
16, 2006).
-Interactive workshops: (2 page proposal) Half day and full day
sessions on topics that include methods, practices, and other
areas of interest and that support an interactive format where
active participation beyond presentation is solicited.
Workshops will take place on August 1 before the start of the
paper sessions. (Deadline for submission: January 16, 2006)
-Tutorials: (2 page proposal) Half day and full day sessions for
teaching conceptual frameworks, methods/techniques, and novel
approaches. The tutorials will take place on July 31 before the
start of the paper sessions. (Deadline for submission: January
16, 2006)
-Doctoral consortium: (2 page proposal) Full day session taking
place on August 1 before the start of the paper sessions.
(Deadline for submission: January 16, 2006)
-Art installations: Artists/designers working in the field of
visual, installation, and performative arts are invited to
submit a project that explores how participant's interactions
can become part of a piece of art or performance. This session
will be held at the Museo d'arte contemporanea di Trento e
Rovereto. (Deadline for submission: January 16, 2006)
Further information from Judith Gregory <[log in to unmask]>
11-13 June 2006: 13th International Product Development
Management Conference - Italy
The 13th International Product Development Management
Conference, organized by the EIASM (European Institute for
Advanced Studies in Management), will take place in Milan,
Italy. The conference is a unique opportunity for researchers
who study management of product innovation to present their work
and exchange views. Each year more than 150 academics from all
over the world attend the conference.
Deadline for submission of extended abstracts is October 31st
2005.
http://www.eiasm.org/frontoffice/event_announcement.asp?event_id
=411
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
12-13 August 2005: What is a university Symposium Australia.
Objectives: a discussion of recent debates about the role and
function of a university. For more information or to register
for the Symposium please go to
http://www.eidos.org.au
and click on 'news and events'
5-30 September 2005: Argentium (tm) Sterling Silver: Creating
Opportunities. Exhibition, foyer of the Museum of Domestic
Architecture, Middlesex University, Cat Hill, London.
This display documents research into the creative possibilities
of the new Argentium (tm) Sterling Silver, which has been
developed at Middlesex University. As Artist in Residence, Dr
Kristina Niedderer has researched new technical possibilities of
the alloy, and how these can affect formal and aesthetic
approaches to jewellery and silverware. The display shows the
creative work and explains the process and results of the
research.
http://www.mdx.ac.uk/subjects/ad/aar/staff/niedderer.htm
22-28 September 2005: Era 05 World Design Congress -
Icograda/ICSID/IFI Joint Congress Copenhagen, Helsinki, Malmo,
Oslo Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden
http://www.era05.com/
1-10 December 2005: Exhibition Design Korea 2005. Seoul, Korea
Information from: [log in to unmask]
19-24 August 2005: 4th Ideas Campus: How to Become a Winner.
With Heart. Piran, Adriatic Coast, Slovenia.
http://www.newmoment-ideascampus.com
http://www.newmoment.si
Dr. Edward de Bono is coming to 4th Ideas Campus for the second
time in a row as the best rated guest speaker of the previous
Ideas Campus!
5-6 September 2005: Conference D&AD Xchange, London, UK.
Featuring Peter Blake, Stefan Sagmeister, Kate Stanners, Dick
Powell
An education programme for course leaders and tutors in design,
advertising and communication. Two days with design and
advertising's most wanted practitioners, and a wealth of
education ideas and experience in the audience.
http://www.dandad.org/xchange
26-28 October 2005: Conference Design Perspectives, Envisioning
design for the XXI century
This international design conference will be held at the
University Iberoamericana (Campus Mexico City). Its aim is to
bring together ideas from the entire design community
(professionals, researchers, educators, graduate students, etc.)
in order to explore, visualize, argue and draw the possible
future of design. It is an open forum for designers from all
disciplines.
http://www.dis.uia.mx/conference/mxdc2005.html
5-7 September 2005: RULES OF ENGAGEMENT Science and Art
Conference, University of York UK.
What happens in the collision of politics, ethics and
imagination between science and art?
This conference - a melting pot of talks, events, performances
and debate - challenges the serene vision of art and science as
a warm, fuzzy continuum and asks instead what really happens
when different perspectives, expectations, interests and
languages converge.
http://www.rulesofengagement.org.uk
8-10 August 2005: WiG 2005 is an opportunity to bring together
women who work in the field of computer games both nationally
and internationally. One of the aims of the event is to be a
forum for recognising the tremendous achievements that have been
made in industry and academia, by "women in games". The WiG
2005 conference will highlight to both the academic and
industrial world the most recent, groundbreaking work in this
area of computer game research and development.
WiG 2005 is timed to immediately precede the Edinburgh
International Entertainment Festival. The conference will be
held in the newly built student centre at the University of
Abertay Dundee.
http://www.womeningames.com
5 September 2005: International Engagability and Design
Conference, HCI 2005, Napier University
http://www.bcs-hci.org.uk/hci2005/index.asp
The Journal of Industrial Ecology has recently published a
special issue on Consumption and Industrial Ecology. The entire
special issue is available on the web at
http://mitpress.mit.edu/JIE/consumption> at no charge.
The Journal of Industrial Ecology is a peer-reviewed
international quarterly published by MIT Press, owned by Yale
University, and headquartered at the Yale School of Forestry &
Environmental Studies.
This issue breaks new ground in providing systematic and
quantitative assessments of the impact of consumption--what we
buy and what we use--on the environment. The articles in the
special issue address the relationship between consumption and
- diet change
- time use
- U.S. house size
- worktime reduction
- product life spans
- quality of life
- NGO advocacy strategies
- the rebound effect
as well as the environmental impact of consumption at the
household, city, and national levels in countries around the
world.
4-7 September 2005: Digital Resources for the Humanities
conference (DRH 2005) Lancaster University, UK
REGISTRATION for DRH 2005 is now open: see
http://www.ahds.ac.uk/drh2005/registration.php.
Registration will remain open until FRIDAY 12th AUGUST. (While
we will accept late registrations, we cannot guarantee
accommodation at the University for any registrations received
after 12th August.)
At this, the tenth DRH conference, we will focus on critical
evaluation of the use of digital resources in the arts and
humanities. What has the impact really been? What kinds of
methodologies are being used? What are the assumptions that
underlie our work? How do we know that the work that we
accomplish is truly new and innovative? How does technology
change the way that we work?
The Conference will also address some of the key emerging themes
and strategic issues that engagement with ICT is bringing to
scholarly research in the arts and humanities, with a particular
focus on advanced research methods. What sort of research does
ICT in the arts and humanities enable researchers to do that
could not be done before at all? Does this enable 'old' research
to be done in a significantly new way? In what ways does the
technology serve the scholarship? Similarly, what are the key
aspects of virtual research environments ("cyberinfrastructure")
which can facilitate collaborative research?
http://www.ahds.ac.uk/drh2005/
The University of the Arts London is looking for a Research
Co-ordinator
Central Saint Martins is one of the largest colleges of arts,
communication and design, with a distinguished international
reputation for taught courses, creative practice, research and
consultancy.
Working with the Director of Research, Professor Martin Woolley,
you will stimulate, develop and promote high quality research
across the College, contributing to the development of our
research culture. Duties include developing and implementing the
College's and University's research strategy, assisting staff in
preparing research bids, advising on external funding and
contributing to the College's enterprise activities.
You will have substantial experience of managing research
projects with an international reputation, as well as strong
academic and professional contacts nationally and
internationally. A record of supervising PhD students to
successful completion and proven experience as a researcher with
a record of high quality outputs are essential.
Closing date: 9th August 2005.
For further details and an application form (CVs alone will not
be accepted), please contact: Charis Godfrey Staffing
Administrator Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design
Southampton Row London WC1B 4AP Tel: 020 7514 8868 Email:
[log in to unmask]
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WEB
Doors of Perception website has been improved. Most of the
changes are designed to make the archive easier to mine.
http://www.doorsofperception.com
New quality of life indicators were recently discussed at an
'International Conference on Gross National Happiness'.
http://www.calvert-henderson.com/update-globalboom.htm
ADG Brasil launches new web site
http://www.adg.org.br
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BOOKS
Green, Howard, and Stuart Powell. 2005. Doctoral Study in
Contemporary Higher Education. Maidenhead, Berkshire, England:
Open University Press and the Society for Research into Higher
Education.
Green and Powell offer a large-scale overview on doctoral
education in UK higher education today. First, they review the
development and context of doctoral study. Next, they examine
different kinds of doctorates, including the PhD, professional
doctorates, and practice-based doctorates. Then, they discuss
developing and managing doctoral study, funding, program length,
supervision, monitoring, and examination to conclude with a
section on future directions. The reference list is extensive
and useful.
While this book focuses on the UK, it examines issues that are
important to doctoral education everywhere.
Two issues in this book involve problems in many UK PhD programs
in the art and design sector.
The authors emphasize the fact that the PhD is awarded for an
original contribution to thinking and knowledge in a research
field. Given this emphasis, they are not as clear as they should
be about the importance of publishing an accessible thesis.
Instead, they focus on the challenges to publication that
specifically involve electronic submission and intellectual
property rights, and on such incidental problems as plagiarism.
Green and Powell (2005: 61-67) do not seem to recognize that the
system developed at UMI (Proquest) seems to solve these
problems. At the same time, the UMI system allows all
universities to publish doctoral theses through a central
service that makes them available on paper, in microform, and
now in electronic formats. As to the incidental problems, there
is no reason to worry that increasing accessibility to completed
theses will lead to more plagiarism. Quite the contrary.
Increased access means that more people can learn about the
work, making theft of intellectual property less likely. The
problem of plagiarism requires other solutions. Withholding
research for fear of plagiarism damages the field.
Most UK doctorates in art and design are inaccessible outside
the library of the granting university. Some are not even filed
in the library. Since knowledge only enters a field when others
have access to it, inaccessible doctorates cannot contribute to
thinking and knowledge in the fields of art and design.
Interestingly, Green and Powell (2005: 113) emphasize the
importance of an accessible research record in their discussion
of practice-based doctorates.
This leads to a second and more interesting question for the art
and design sector, the specific form of doctorate known as the
practice-based PhD. The key issue here involves awarding a
doctorate in full or in part for an original work of art, music,
or design. Because this issue remains a hotly debated topic in
art and design, this chapter requires more space in a short
review than other chapters do to cover a key issue that Green
and Powell (2005: 100-118) fail to discuss as fully as they
should. This issue lies at the heart of the chapter.
One of the troublesome questions in practice-based PhD awards is
the failure to show how the candidate achieved his or her
results. This is a crucial distinction between awarding a PhD
for what is confusingly labeled "practice as research" and
awarding a degree in art or design for skilled practice.
Some apologists for the practice-based PhD raise a distinction
between "knowing how" and "knowing that." This distinction is
inappropriate. The fact remains that an original contribution to
thinking and knowledge in any field requires us to show (and
say) how. Unless those who "know how" EXPLAIN how, their
knowledge remains a trade secret. This is the key distinction
between the old culture of craft guild secrets and the new
culture of art and design research. It is perfectly fine for
skilled artists and designers to keep their hard-won knowledge
secret. We do not award a PhD for secret knowledge.
This debate is not new. More than a decade has passed since
Nigel Cross (1993: 226-7) opened a key phase of the debate with
an editorial in Design Studies that pointed to distinctions
between practice and research.
Two years later, Cross (1995: 2) argued that little progress had
been made in practice-based research. Part of the problem
involves the claim that "works of design are also works of
research." This applies to the related claim that works of art
are also works of research.
Five years further on, Cross looked back at failed efforts to
produce valid examples of practice-based research. In a post to
the JISCMAIL DRS list, he wrote (Cross 1999: unpaged), " . . . I
still haven't seen much strong evidence of the output from the
'research for and through design' quarters. Less of the special
pleading and more of the valid, demonstrable research output
might help." Once again, Cross's comments apply to art.
Another five years have gone by, and the same issue came up yet
again at the recent DRS symposium on research quality in London.
The problem is not the relationship between practice and
research in a field that is, after all, rooted in professional
practice. Research is linked to practice in many professional
fields. Law, medicine, nursing, and the information science are
but a few. Only in the arts and design do people simply claim
that their practice is research. In no other field do
universities award a RESEARCH degree for examples of practice.
A legal brief or a nursing protocol might be a brilliant example
of practice. It might even represent a brilliant new way to
work. As part of a PhD, however, a doctoral candidate must
explain the "how" of his or her practice. Since no one can "know
how" for anyone else, a research degree requires the candidate
to state a "that" for any kind of "knowing how." This statement
enables members of a field to examine, adopt, adapt, and
internalize the knowledge of another person. It is the
explanation that constitutes the original contribution to the
knowledge of the field, and not the fact that the candidate
"knows how."
As Stephen Scrivener (2002: 27) argues in an article cited in
the book, a contribution to the knowledge of the field requires
that "the knowledge exemplified in the solution can be
abstracted (i.e., described and/or formalized)."
If the candidate alone "knows how," the field does not. The
field requires an "explanation that" to "learn how."
Practice-based artifacts - including process documents - may
constitute a valuable part of a doctoral submission. Artifacts
can exemplify, demonstrate, document, and test. Even so, the
artifacts in a doctoral submission require an articulate
explanation to show what a researcher knows and "how" he or she
knows it. This requires the meta-narrative of research in the
form that allows others to "know that" before they "know how."
This review is not the place for a lengthy discussion on how the
ability to articulate a "that" helps us to "know how."
Nevertheless, articulating a "that" to explain "how" is one
aspect of double-loop learning. This articulation is what Donald
Schon and Chris Argyris meant by the frequently misunderstood
concept of reflective practice.
The facile notion that research in art and design is about
"knowing how" in contrast to "knowing that" neglects key issues
in the relationship between research and practice. While this
question is not central to the larger purpose of Green and
Powell's excellent book, it is central to current debates in our
field.
A reviewer in another field probably would not focus on the
single chapter covering the practice-based PhD because few
fields face the exaggerated claim for "practice as research"
rather than practice as part of the research process. One cannot
blame an urbanologist like Howard Green or a psychologist like
Stuart Powell for missing this point. They do not examine the
art and design sector at a detailed level. It would be difficult
for scholars in most fields to realize just how poor the quality
of doctoral education is in the weaker art and design schools,
particularly if they have not seen the more obscure thesis
projects leading to the practice-based award. I, too, would find
it hard to believe that anyone is still confused about these
issues if I had not revisited the web sites of a few such
schools while writing this review.
Nevertheless, one can picture the problem in a thousand words,
as I have done here. A similar discussion of these issues would
have made a strong contribution to the otherwise useful chapter
on the practice-based doctorate. The objection one must raise is
not the quality or excellence of the creative contribution. It
is the award of a research degree for a creative project - no
matter how excellent - that fails to make a research
contribution. Unpacking and examining these issues would have
made this book far more useful to the art and design sector,
particularly in the UK where some schools grant a PhD for what
would be an MFA or a diploma project elsewhere, or even -
reasonably enough - a DA or DCA.
As it is, this remains a timely and useful book for those who
seek to understand, develop, and manage doctoral education.
-- Ken Friedman
References
Cross. Nigel. 1993. Editorial. Design Studies. Vol. 14, No. 3,
1993, pp. 226-227.
Cross. Nigel. 1995. Editorial. Design Studies. Vol. 16, No. 1,
1995, pp. 2-3.
Cross. Nigel. 1999. "Subject: Re: Research into, for and through
designs." DRS. Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 13:43:18 +0000.
Green, Howard, and Stuart Powell. 2005. Doctoral Study in
Contemporary Higher Education. Maidenhead, Berkshire, England:
Open University Press and the Society for Research into Higher
Education.
Scrivener, Stephen. 2002. "Characterizing Creative-Production
Doctoral Projects in Art and Design." International Journal of
Design Sciences and Technology, Vol. 10, No. 2, p. 27.
Sless, David, and Rob Wiseman. 1997. Writing about Medicines for
People. Usability Guidelines for Consumer Medicine Information.
Second Edition. Canberra: Communication Research Institute of
Australia.
This book is a systematic tutorial on writing and designing
consumer medicine information (CMIs). CMIs tell consumers how to
use medicine effectively. Sless and Wiseman show how to write
them well. The first three chapters explain the purpose of CMIs,
how to develop them, and how to manage the development process.
The next three give detailed instructions on writing CMIs and
testing them to make sure they work.
While this book addresses the specific purpose of writing CMIs,
some aspects of this book have wide application in the design
school curriculum. Chapter two gives twenty useful rules for
understandable writing. These apply to instructions and
explanations for any process or product from do-it-yourself
furniture and computer software manuals to cookbooks and CMIs.
Learning to write clear and comprehensible instructions is
closely linked to the difficult art of describing processes in a
clear, comprehensible way. As a result, it also serves those who
write about research issues.
A CMI is a tool, and the chapter on diagnostic testing can be
useful in testing other kinds of user-centered information
tools. Test questions should differ for different kinds of
information. The information consumers need in a signage system
or a software manual differ from those in a tool kit or
you-are-here map. Many principles remain the same. This book
will serve many purposes. Learning to write - and design - a
good CMI belongs in any information design curriculum.
Whether or not a design school teaches information design, the
library needs this book.
-- Ken Friedman
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
DESIGN RESEARCH SOCIETY
The Design Research Society is the multi-disciplinary
international learned society for the design research community.
DRS was founded in 1967, and since then has established a
record of significant achievements in contributing to design
knowledge.
DRS has facilitated an international design research network in
40 countries comprising members who maintain contact through the
publications and activities of the Society. Members are drawn
from diverse backgrounds, not only from the traditional areas of
design, ranging from fine art to engineering, but also from
subjects like psychology and computer science.
Our interests include:
o recognising design as a creative act common to many
disciplines
o understanding research and its relationship with education
and practice
o advancing the theory and practice of design
We realise these by:
o encouraging the development of scholarship and knowledge in
design
o contributing to the development of doctoral education and
research training
o sharing knowledge across the boundaries of design disciplines
o facilitating networks to exchange and communicate ideas,
experience and research findings among members
o disseminating research findings
o promoting awareness of design research
o organising and sponsoring conferences, and publishing
proceedings
o encouraging communications between members internationally
o responding to consultative documents
o collaborating with other bodies
o lobbying on behalf of members' research interests
o recognising excellence in design research through awards
o sponsoring email discussion groups and a monthly emailed
newsletter
Membership of DRS provides:
o regular communications about research activities worldwide
o reduced subscription to a range of research journals
o reduced fees to DRS sponsored events
o representation of the design research community and members'
interests
o a means of identifying and contacting other members
o an opportunity to contribute to the international design
research community
For further details and to join online:
http://designresearchsociety.org
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
SERVICES OF THE DESIGN RESEARCH SOCIETY
o Design Research News is the digital newsletter of the
Design Research Society. It communicates news about
research throughout the world. It is mailed automatically
at the beginning of each month and is free. You may
subscribe and unsubscribe at the following site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/design-research.html
o PHD-DESIGN is a discussion list open for unmoderated
discussion on all matters related to the PhD in design.
Topics include philosophies and theories of design, research
methods, curriculum development, and relations between
theory and practice. You may subscribe and unsubscribe at
the following site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/phd-design.html
o DRS is a discussion list open for unmoderated discussion
on all matters related to design research. You may
subscribe and unsubscribe at the following site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/drs.html
o Design Studies is the International Journal for Design
Research in Engineering, Architecture, Products and Systems,
which is published in co-operation with the Design Research
Society.
DRS members can subscribe to the journal at special rates.
http://www.elsevier.nl/locate/inca/30409/
o The DRS QCR - quarterly council report is sent via
email to full members of the Design Research Society. It
includes a selection of edited reports from international
Council members and Council Officers received from time to
time.
o Full information about the Design Research Society may
be found at:
http://www.designresearchsociety.org
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
CONTRIBUTIONS
Information to the editor, Professor David Durling, Middlesex
University UK. <[log in to unmask]>
Book information and suggestions for reviews should be sent to
the book review editor Professor Ken Friedman, Norwegian School
of Management, Oslo, and Denmark's Design School.
<[log in to unmask]>
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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