The Concept of the Design Discipline

Abstract

In their previous work, the authors have demonstrated that the discipline of design has been su perseded by a condition where conventionally set design disciplines have dissolved. 1 2 3 In this age where design is typified by fluid, evolving patterns of practice that regularly traverse, transcend and transfigure historical disciplinary and conceptual boundaries, the authors have argued that globalization and the proliferation of the digital has resulted in connections that are no longer 'amid,' cannot be measured 'across,' nor encompass a 'whole' system. In short, this 'disciplinary turn' has generated an 'other' dimension -an alternative disciplinarity. 4 Moreover, this reliance on the 'exhausted' historic disciplines has become obsolete as the boundaries of our understand ing have been superseded by a boundless space / time that we call 'alterplinarity.' 5 The fragmenta tion of distinct disciplines has shifted creative practice from being 'disciplinebased' to 'issue or projectbased.' 6 Consequently, this paper presents a manifesto for the future design discipline that emphasizes disposing carefully of what you know, teaching what you do not know whilst al ways taking design seriously, protecting us from what we want, objecting to sustaining everything, designing without reproach, ensuring that objects are invisible but designed with care and within history whilst exploring design as an idea rather than an ideal.

Instructional design for innovation and reform

“…The overarching design question is, "What kind of world do we really want [our teachers and our students] to [teach and learn] in?" (Rodgers & Bremner, 2017). A school's instructional design process serves as the creation of that world.…”

“…To make instructional design decisions equitably, school leaders must center the voices of young people, their parents, and their teachers, with an emphasis on the experiences of students who have traditionally been left out of conversations about design. The overarching design question is, “What kind of world do we really want [our teachers and our students] to [teach and learn] in?” (Rodgers & Bremner, 2017). A school’s instructional design process serves as the creation of that world.…”

Beyond empathy: how curiosity promotes to greater care

“…Mayeroff (1971) defines caring as acting on empathy. Rodgers and Bremner (2016) identify care as an important part of the concept of the design discipline that points us toward larger contexts and concerns: "care refers to designing with the macro and micro social, technological, economic, environmental and political effects of design decision-making well in mind." Like empathy, care is other-centered but when used in design practice, care can attune us to the effects of design in the way we live.…”

Beyond the discipline : A metadisciplinary approach for the didactics of communication design

“…The weak epipstemological status of communication design and its implicit multidisciplinarity mean that we cannot consider communication design (or design more broadly) to be a clearly defined and bounded discipline (Rodgers and Bremner, 2017). Rather, the straightforwardness of the theoretical background of communication design means that students-from very early in the study program-can use it in applied projects that include contents from other disciplines.…”