The current vogue for design in management discourses results in abstractions of the design process that repress the role of aesthetic judgments. This paper offers an explanation as to why design-as-styling is being neglected or... more
The current vogue for design in management discourses results in abstractions of the design process that repress the role of aesthetic judgments. This paper offers an explanation as to why design-as-styling is being neglected or concealed, and then explains what is at stake. It theorizes that a key aspect of the agency of designing, as the creation of artifacts to facilitate activities, lies in this taste literacy of designers. The framework for the argument of this paper is Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of ‘habitus’ and the notion of ‘style’ as proposed by Fernando Flores and his coauthors. The paper argues that designers are hermeneutists of proximal taste regimes, for the possibilities of new styles of action.► Design thinking promotions and cognitive research of designing de-emphasize style. ► Bourdieu’s work can link judgments of style and the designing of useful artifacts. ► Designers, as expert innovators, operate within discernments of style. ► Usability of designed artifacts depends upon coherence with taste regimes of users. ► Research on style judgments in designing can explain how tools like personas work.
Mankind's knowledge about 'faculty of reason' deserves much more serious probe. My humble attempt was in this direction for 2 decades. It is the faculty that helps us to decide the truth and falsehood of our conclusions, beliefs and... more
Mankind's knowledge about 'faculty of reason' deserves much more serious probe. My humble attempt was in this direction for 2 decades. It is the faculty that helps us to decide the truth and falsehood of our conclusions, beliefs and myths, hence central to knowledge acquiring process ! World Philosophy Forum based in Athens was kind to select an abstract of the theme for publication at their official web site ( mentioned above) Full theme is available in my book titled ' Is reason a sense organ ?' ( can be Goggle searched )
The evolving world of consumer society has pointed a trend for an increasing demand of products that satisfy not only functionality and price expectation, but also aspects related to emotional satisfaction. As a result, product design... more
The evolving world of consumer society has pointed a trend for an increasing demand of products that satisfy not only functionality and price expectation, but also aspects related to emotional satisfaction. As a result, product design process had been adopting competitive strategies that take into account user needs from sensitive and emotional perspectives. Accordingly, Kansei had become a relevant approach to understand the complex mechanisms of emotions and behaviors in user-product interactions.
This paper reviews the experience of a conceptual design project developed using User Centered Design (UCD) methods. The stages of the design process are presented, emphasizing the description of user need-finding methods based on Ethnographic research. Kansei engineering and UCD methodology structures are compared, and some general aspects of user emotion assessment are analyzed. The present study hypothesizes that Kansei and UCD research methods could be integrated to enable a holistic vision of user-product interaction. An integrated methodological structure of both approaches could boost innovation in the development of products by focusing in emotional aspects of users.
The shift in the last twenty years from an industrialised economy to a knowledge economy demands new modes of education in which individuals can effectively acquire 21st century competencies. This article builds on the findings and... more
The shift in the last twenty years from an industrialised economy to a knowledge economy demands new modes of education in which individuals can effectively acquire 21st century competencies. This article builds on the findings and recommendations of a Knowledge Economy Market Development Mapping Study (KEMDMS), conducted in Queensland, Australia. The study was conducted to identify the value of design education programs from primary school through to the professional development level. This article considers the ability of design education as a framework to deliver on the 21 st century competences required for the three defining features of the creative knowledge economy-Innovation, Transdisciplinarity and Networks. This is achieved by contextualising key findings from the KEMDMS, including current design education initiatives, and outlining the current and future challenges faced. From this, this article focuses on the role of the tertiary education sector as the central actor in ...
Education in the 21st century demands a model for understanding a new culture of learning in the face of rapid change, open access data and geographical diversity. Teachers no longer need to provide the latest information because students... more
Education in the 21st century demands a model for understanding a new culture of learning in the face of rapid change, open access data and geographical diversity. Teachers no longer need to provide the latest information because students themselves are taking an active role in peer collectives to help create it. This paper examines, through an Australian case study entitled ‘Design Minds’, the development of an online design education platform as a key initiative to enact a government priority for state-wide cultural change through design-based curriculum. Utilising digital technology to create a supportive community, ‘Design Minds’ recognises that interdisciplinary learning fostered through engagement will empower future citizens to think, innovate, and discover. This paper details the participatory design process undertaken with multiple stakeholders to create the platform. It also outlines a proposed research agenda for future measurement of its value in creating a new learning culture, supporting regional and remote communities, and revitalising frontline services. It is anticipated this research will inform ongoing development of the online platform, and future design education and research programs in K-12 schools in Australia.
The notion of ‘gesture’ has been a dominant narrative in the context of the creative field, and in architecture in particular. Not only has ‘gesture’ been studied in itself as a carrier of meaning - in research ranging from rhetoric to... more
The notion of ‘gesture’ has been a dominant narrative in the context of the creative field, and in architecture in particular. Not only has ‘gesture’ been studied in itself as a carrier of meaning - in research ranging from rhetoric to cognitive studies - but it has also provided with a dominant paradigm as a testimony of authority as well as a catalyst for creativity. Nevertheless, the largest part of theoretical references on ‘gesture’ in the creative field remain highly esoteric and even cryptical, introducing a question on the epistemological foundation for such an inquiry. Although cognitive research on gesture and design thinking illuminate aspects of the problem, the question of situating ‘gesture’ in a ‘design’ context is still lacking a 'full breadth' approach as the juxtaposition of narrative to the study of cognitive behavior poses an epistemological question of validity, between a metaphysical reference and the necessity for a grounded framework of inquiry. By introducing gesture as distinction, we aim to turn the problem of contextualization into a systemic one, therefore revealing gesture as a design condition and a design problem at once.
The knowledge economy relies on the diffusion and use of knowledge as well as its creation (Houghton and Sheenan, 2000). The future success of economic activity will depend on the capacity of organisations to transform by increasing their... more
The knowledge economy relies on the diffusion and use of knowledge as well as its creation (Houghton and Sheenan, 2000). The future success of economic activity will depend on the capacity of organisations to transform by increasing their flexibility. In particular, this transformation is dependant on a decentralised, networked and multi-skilled workforce. To help organisations transition, new strategies and structures for education are required. Education systems need to concentrate less on specialist skills and more on the development of people with broad-based problem solving skills that are adaptable, with social and inter-personal communication skills necessary for networking and communication. This paper presents the findings of a ‘Knowledge Economy Market Development Mapping Study’ conducted to identify the value of design education programs from primary through to tertiary level in Queensland, Australia. The relationship of these programs to the development of the capacities...
