Lecture: (Im)material Practice

Talking about designers having to deal with form, materials, and mass.
But what actually is design?

Design as Applied Creativity
A mixture of creativity and analytical skills.

Design as Problem Solving
Pose
Search
Generate
Test

Phase model of the design process. Starting with requirements, and a linear progression through development, testing, and production.
It works well in situations where the design goal is clear and the goal doesn’t change, and if different solutions can be compared with each other.
It is a control management process.

Design as Learning
Experiments - models, sketches, etc
Iterative - learn your way towards a solution

Design as Evolution
Continual refinement of ideas and concepts

Design as a Social Process
Today we work and design in teams as the skills of many people are required. Group dynamics involve negotiation and compromise. Good designers are good negotiators.

Design as a Game
A design problem is a challenge or a gamble. Have to take risks.

Design as Solving Wicked Problems
There were quite a few clauses defining Wicked Problems in the lecture, but Messy vs Tame sums it up.
Improvising your way to a solution. Create a path by walking along. Reach a solution intuitively, and construct explanation afterwards with hindsight.


Design as Mastery of Expertise
Niave - adequate for everyday use. Design as a reaction
Novice - considers mentor ideas. Follow strict rules. Learn formal process of design.
Advanced Beginner - maxims/guidelines, exceptions to rules
Competent Designer - select relevant elements, seeking opportunities, building up expectations, willing to take risks.
Expert - many years of experience. High level patterns. Responds intuitively. Vulnerable to disruptions (external factors)
Master - Anxious expert (anxiety).Standard ways of working aren’t normal but contingent. Consequences/appropriateness of design decisions (ethics).
Visionary - expert domain. Works in the margin of domains (expanding boundaries). E.g. Galileo, Martin Luther King. They see the world in a different way.

How Not To Design
I thought that I’d reframe this into the positive, so...

How TO Design
Explore many ideas and concepts
Start off at a high level (macro)
Be flexible
Be holistic (focus on many aspects - the whole problem)
Do something/anything i.e. work through creative blocks
Listen (utilise feedback and constructive criticism)
(I don’t thing I got them all but it’s a good start).

The game of “Go” (not sure of the spelling of that one). Competition for the computer to beat a human. The idea that something human can do better than computers. Actually that we take a lot of things that we can do for granted.

My Thoughts/Summary
It is interesting to look at design from different perspectives. The “Design as a Wicked Problem” got my back up. It seems like a problem classification or categorisation system to me, and one of limited use. Basically how does labelling a design problem “Wicked” or not help you respond to it? It doesn’t add anything.

I did like the “How (not) to Design”. I think the “Don’t wait for inspiration” is key. Do. Act. Engage. Be active versus passive. Take control.

Part II coming soon...