Dear Tim & Mark, I would agree that designers require tools they are able to manipulate to their own ends and also that 'the best tool for the job' is too simplistic a way of considering designerly tools and their use. However, if the designer wishes to alter the tool itself, that also presupposes that designers some how explicitly know which tool is right for a given context of use in achieving a certain objective. In this i think some are further down the road toward a deep understanding of which tool, where, how and why than others. Those that do seem to have fostered an implicit, tacit knowledge of the tools they use. They can't quite explain exactly what it is about a tool that makes it so effective in a given context of use. Experience has a lot to do with this; years of experience in practice. Those with little experience tend to really get bogged down in the tool. That is, they take a tool-first approach to their design work. The tool strongly dictates their designs. That's not to say the tool can somehow not have any influence. The tool will always influence design, but experienced designers seem more inclined to deploy tools according to their strengths and limitations. By the way, i'm talking about tools of design representation here - CAD, sketching, RP...The point is that experience can bring a more reflective and intuitive use of design tools in response to different contexts, various purposes and objectives. I'm just not sure how explicitly designers, even experienced ones, understand their own choice and use of the tools they employ. And if this knowledge is experiential and implicit rather than learnt and explicit, how can that knowledge then be applied in the modification and manipulation of existing tools? . I think with experience designers do modify and manipulate the tools they use, but most often not the tools themselves, rather their application and use in response to the various and rich contexts of design activity - which they have fostered a much stronger, but intuative, understanding of. James.
Assistant Professor | School of Design & Human Engineering (DHE) |
Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology (UNIST) | S.Korea
T. +82 (0)52 217 2722 | F. +82 (0)52 217 2708 | Email. [log in to unmask]
> Date: Fri, 1 Mar 2013 09:18:13 +0100
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Research on unmet needs of designers
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> On Mar 1, 2013, at 09:11 , Mark Whiting wrote:
>
> > Tim,
> >
> > Not a problem, sorry about being unclear earlier.
> >
> > <snip>
>
> > *Mark Whiting*
>
> That's generous, Mark. Much appreciated! -- Tim
>
>
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