Towards an online design studio: a study of social networking in design distance learning

In this paper we examine the role of social networking and online community building in distance design learning. We analysed interactions of Facebook, a popular social network site, using qualitative content analysis and social network analysis. Two distinct learner identities could be identified – a design course Content Focused Learner and a course Context Centred Socialiser. We discuss the implications of this finding particularly in respect to online design studio education

A complexity theory of design intentionality

The subject of this paper is design intentionality. The paper is concerned with the property of the mind to hold intentional states (its capacity to represent or reflect existing and nonexisting realities) and with the way that these mental states are constructed during design tasks. The aim is to develop a mathematical theory of design intentionality, capturing the structures and processes that characterize an intentional system with the mental ability to address design tasks. The philosophical notion of intentionality is approached methodologically from a complexity theoretic perspective. More specifically, the focus is placed on the mathematical characterization of the organizational complexity of intentional states and the type of phase transitions that occur on the mental states of an intentional system during design tasks. The paper uses category theory in order to build a framework that is able to mathematically capture the meaning of these notions

Collective Design Anticipation

Design and anticipation are two closely related concepts. While previous research has focussed on exploring this relationship, less attention has been paid on uncovering the collective nature of design anticipation. The paper offers a theoretical framework to account for collective design anticipation and the conditions that make it possible. In specific, the paper discusses the notion of a design anticipation space, which embodies temporal and semantic dimensions, and discusses conditions for collective design anticipation through the concept of boundary objects. The results are derived through an abductive methodology that combines theoretical investigations with reflections on empirical work in the wild

Co-design As Collaborative Research

Theodore Zamenopoulos and Katerina Alexiou discuss the field of co-design and its underpinning theories and methods. They argue that Design as a process is always concerned with addressing a challenge or opportunity to create a better future reality, and explore how co-design has evolved as a process of ensuring that those with the life experiences, expertise and knowledge are actively involved in these making new tools, products and services. They observe how the participatory turn in this field has been concerned with both changing the objects of design – whether this is services or objects – and with the changing processes of designing itself. They highlight four major traditions and their distinctive approaches, before exploring the politics and practices of co-design through case studies of work

Methods for researching and building capacity in codesign among non-experts

The paper presents two case studies of methods that were used in practice with non-expert co-design groups. The methods draw on asset-based community development principles to fulfil a two-fold objective: first, to study co-design (derive knowledge about co-design), and second, to support co-design practice by building the capacity of those groups to carry out design tasks. The paper discusses how the two objectives are met in each case, and derives some general observations about co-design practice in the context of non-expert groups and the capabilities that need to be supported or nurtured. The paper contributes to the development of design research methods that have an impact on societal change

Valuing Community-Led Design

The ideas and practice of community-led design, participatory design or co-design have a long-standing tradition, especially in the context of urban design, planning and architecture. Community-led design goes beyond the one-dimensional process of consultation, helping involve people in decision-making throughout the design process, from visioning to implementation. There are many benefits from this approach, from improving civic participation and ensuring more democratic outcomes, to creating a strong sense of community and strengthening people’s attachment to their place and to each other, to producing more sustainable solutions. However, despite this tradition, community-led design is not a mainstream practice. An essential part of this issue is that the benefits of the approach are not thoroughly understood, measured or disseminated. The project aimed to grapple with this issue, and explore how a better case for community-led design can be made. The objective was to collate, articulate and disseminate evidence about the value of community-led design and bring the relevant stakeholders together to share good practice and form a research agenda for the future. The project team delivered a series of focus groups and creative workshops with multiple stakeholders. It also created Community Design Exchange a bespoke social network site for sharing stories and showcasing achievements of community-led design

Why designing may help treat psychosis

The paper presents some initial theoretical insights on why designing may help people with experience of psychosis. The paper reviews how psychosis has been discussed in the literature from a phenomenological point of view, and how it links to designing by looking at the themes of agency and embodiment. These insights are then used to formulate the hypothesis that the experience of designing, and design iteration, may pose a continuous force (and have an indirect effect) towards the coupling, or pulling together, of dimensions of experience such as perception, cognition and action which in psychosis are sometimes experienced as particularly fragmented. The paper contributes to our understanding of design and introduces the idea of design as treatment for the development of design projects to support mental health

A Last Glacial Maximum Pollen Record from Bodmin Moor Showing a Possible Cryptic Northern Refugium in Southwest England

Reproduced with permission of the publisher. The definitive version is available at www3.interscience.wiley.com. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, LtdA late Devensian palynological record is presented from Dozmary Pool (Bodmin Moor, southwest England), beyond the southern limit of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) British Ice Sheet. The pollen assemblages indicate predominantly herbaceous tundra steppe communities but also include elevated levels (typically 10-20%) of conifer tree pollen (Picea, Pinus, Abies) and lower but persistent percentages of broadleaf tree pollen during the LGM. This record is seemingly at odds with the orthodox view of an entirely treeless tundra steppe environment for this region and elimination of tree species from the British Isles during glacial maxima. Long-distance pollen transport seems an unlikely explanation for the tree pollen considering distance to the nearest known refugia, except possibly for Pinus. Reworking of the tree pollen, often invoked in these circumstances, remains a possible alternative, especially given the abundance of these trees in the region during early Devensian interstadials. However, this explanation has been challenged by studies reporting plant macrofossil and faunal evidence for survival of temperate biota during glacial maxima and from climate modelling work that suggests some trees could have survived the glacial extremes in areas well beyond the recorded glacial refugia. Assuming reworking was not a major factor, the Dozmary Pool pollen record is consistent with the "apos;cryptic northern refugia hypothesis"apos; that invokes survival of trees in small, scattered populations under locally favourable conditions during glacial maxima

Empowering design practices: exploring relations between architecture, faith, society and community

This paper presents and discusses some key insights derived from a collaborative research project called Empowering Design Practices. The project brought together a multidisciplinary team of academic and non-academic partners to explore the processes, resources and environments that support community-led design practice in the context of historic places of worship. The paper discusses barriers and opportunities surrounding the development and adaptation of historic places of worship as community hubs, and proposes a set of approaches that can help empower those looking after those places to re-imagine and design the future of their places while respecting complex faith, architectural, societal and community values