chris,
i agree that design can be a passion. but it is too cognitive to become
lost in its process as one could in downhill skiing, video game playing, or
flying a glider, all of which involve the whole body and when mastered is
almost entirely intrinsically motivating -- flow
klaus
-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Rust [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chris
Rust
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 3:36 AM
To: Klaus Krippendorff
Subject: Re: Passion
Klaus Krippendorff wrote:
> i agree, passion, as a very personal emotion, is not very interesting
> to designers.
Klaus has opened up a good additional aspect here (thanks) but I'll just
clarify my original meaning so there's no confusion.
In saying that passion does not figure much in debates on designing I was
mainly concerned with the way we think about designing and designers rather
than their products. We may discuss designing as an analytical act, a
creative act, a problem-solving act, a designerly act and many more but I'm
not sure there has been so much said about it being a passionate act.
Nevertheless my own experience as a designer seems to have been a very
passionate one, even when dealing with quite mundane objects and problems.
As I am convinced that designing is a craft I need to go back and read
Richard Sennett again to see whether he uses the concept of passion at all
but I think even he tends to talk about community and rigour rather than
passion (as I say I'll need to check and I'd be pleased to be proved wrong)
This has arisen because Bernd Ploderer arrived here as an HCI researcher
who had identified passion as a feature of the particular online community
(bodybuilders) he was studying. His characterisation of passion seemed to
resonate with something we had observed in mature craftspeople and other
expert communities. We were interested in whether their communal learning
strategies, which seemed to be driven by "passionate" engagement, could be
introduced to less mature design students.
Thanks to everybody who has contributed ideas so far, which have been really
helpful in forming a potential agenda for some research. Equally
interestingly, the contributions have told us or reminded us of the
different inclinations and preoccupations of the members of this fascinating
group.
Sometimes people say, and I sometimes agree, that the email load and the
endless complicated debates that we have on PhD-Design are just too much
trouble and not particularly helpful. Then you ask a question here and get a
pile of generous useful answers and you know why you are a member.
thanks
Chris
...............................................................o^o
Professor Chris Rust FDRS
Head of Art and Design Research Centre
Sheffield Hallam University, S1 2NU, UK
+44 114 225 6772
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www.chrisrust.net
Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future
of the human race. - H. G. Wells
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