Dear Francois,
Thank you for your message and kind words.
My apologies if you felt I was making people feel guilty about not using
maths. The situation was rather the opposite, I have been resisting a
weight of social pressure against my research findings over the last three
decades that there are limits to what can be creatively designed in mind,
using sketches and social interactions, and that mathematics offers a way
past these very concrete limits to human abilities.
What you ask is both interesting and revolutionary. You are asking for a way
of teaching and learning Mathematics appropriate to extending and improving
creative human design activity in the Art and Design realms.
This is a considerable challenge. For most fields, elements of knowledge
are relatively independent. One can learn about colour issues independently
of typography and vice versa. One can learn the medieval history of France
relatively independently of the 20th century history of Iceland etc. In
mathematics, however, there are often long strands and sequences of learning
in which elements build on each other and missing elements mean nothing is
gained from study of elements further up the sequence. Some of these
sequences take years to learn.
What you are asking is the development of a designer-focused mathematics
curriculum from easy to advanced that:
1. Is specific and appropriate to extending the creative boundaries of
design activity
2. draws on the benefits of advanced mathematics
3. Can be undertaken by individual designers or taught in university design
schools at undergraduate level to students with very little Mathematics
prior learning
4. Can be gained in a relatively short time (the usual way takes around 20
years)
Clearly traditional mathematics education is not likely to offer the above
solution.
Careful choice of concepts and techniques focusing solely on addressing the
limitations of designers in addressing complex situations might be a
possibility.
I would be interested in being part of a team that developed this. It would,
however, require funding.
This is not the first time an attempt has been made to gain the benefits of
mathematics in Design without the effort of 20 years of study. The more
obvious cases are almost hidden, and include the automation of design
activities and design optimisation in software.
A development perhaps more in line with what you seem to be asking was
undertaken by a team headed by Jay Forrester of MIT.
You might find it interesting and useful. I do. It is appropriate to degree
level even though aimed at kindergarten to year 12. This is not insulting
and you will see what I mean if you look through it. The URL of the course
is http://clexchange.org/curriculum/roadmaps.asp
Best wishes and thanks for the challenge ,
Terry
---
Dr Terence Love
PhD(UWA), BA(Hons) Engin. PGCEd, FDRS, AMIMechE, PMACM, MISI
Honorary Fellow
IEED, Management School
Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
Director,
Love Services Pty Ltd
PO Box 226, Quinns Rocks
Western Australia 6030
Tel: +61 (0)4 3497 5848
Fax:+61 (0)8 9305 7629
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--
-----Original Message-----
From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related
research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Francois
Nsenga
Sent: Saturday, 7 September 2013 6:05 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Maths for Design
Dear Terry
Along the thread on 'the word "Designer" being perhaps the problem', and
commenting on sketching and drawing, you wrote:
"...there are many levels and aspects to maths. In the main, school maths is
simple and deterministic. Creativity comes with more advanced kinds of
maths. From experience, using more advanced mathematics in design work is
as creative as any sketching activity, and almost certainly uses the same
parts of the brain. The interesting areas of maths concerning the dynamics
of interaction of functions and their 'shapes' and behaviours is
particularly of use in creative design work. This is sort of the
meta-analysis of the behaviour of functions."
You finally gave us a glimpse at how Maths relate to Design, and I am glad
you did at last; instead of incessantly burdening us with the guilt that
most of us do not know - and never use - the Maths language. Thanks a lot
for that and I wish you - and other mathematicians among us - would instruct
us more on this.
True indeed, most of Art and Design - studio expert - schools do not teach
maths, especially that level of maths you refer to in your post, I guess
they don't need it to deliver the kind of outcome they are commissioned for.
However there is now a growing number among us who are viewing and
practicing Design, neither as art nor as studio, but as a scientific
activity. Perhaps then, for these latter, the level of maths you are
referring to is crucially needed for the quality of outcome expected of
them? Could you please elaborate more on this, and tell us how that level
maths can effectively and best be taught and learned?
Many thanks in advance!
Francois
(Now in Kigali, Rwanda)
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