Transition Design: the need to refuse discipline and transcend instrumentalism

Willis, Anne‐Marie

doi:10.1080/14487136.2015.1085687

Cited by 20 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…Documenting the typically tacit thinking-drawing process of 'reflective doodling' during my PhD brought a deeper consciousness to my reflective process. That consciousness extends to this paper, which explores the critical reflective practice of reflective doodling in the context of 'design for transitions', an emergent design approach focussed on systemic change encompassing social justice and ecological sustainability (Boehnert, 2018;Escobar, 2018;Fry, 2009Fry, , 2017Irwin et al, 2015;White, 2018;Willis, 2006Willis, , 2015. This emergent approach was a core focus of my PhD which examined the designer's role in the complex problem of excess consumption and waste.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…In emergent areas of practice and research such as design for transitions (Boehnert, 2018;Escobar, 2018;Fry, 2009Fry, , 2017Irwin et al, 2015;White, 2018;Willis, 2006Willis, , 2015 there is an acknowledgement that who we are (designers) and what we do (design) contributes to and is bound by that which is structural and systemic. Design for transitions' intent is to design in ways that enact or facilitate systemic change by approaching design in everyday contexts (Kossoff et al, 2015;Manzini, 2008).…”

Section: Critical Reflective Practice For Uncertain Futuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Design for transitions' intent is to design in ways that enact or facilitate systemic change by approaching design in everyday contexts (Kossoff et al, 2015;Manzini, 2008). As an approach to design it acknowledges the hypocrisy of designing this change whilst being embedded within these systems, however the power dynamics within the system cannot be ignored as part of this attempt at change (Boehnert, 2018;Willis, 2015). Building this understanding in practice expands creative thinking in ways that require greater criticality, reflection and deliberation.…”

Section: Critical Reflective Practice For Uncertain Futuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thinking while drawing and drawing to think: Exploring ‘reflective doodling’ as a critical reflective practice in design for transitions.

Wallace¹

2020

Proceedings of DRS

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This paper attempts to articulate what is typically tacit within the process of 'reflective doodling'. By dissecting different types of artefacts created during reflective doodling, the paper demonstrates how this critical reflective practice creates a synergy between design research and design practice. The nuances of reflective doodling are unpacked and its relevance to complex problems is explored through the emergent practice of 'design for transitions'. Discussion reveals the importance of external inputs into the process and explores how the layers of thinking and action embedded in its processes expand the dynamic interplay between research and practice.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Critical Reflective Practice For Uncertain Futuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Critical Reflective Practice For Uncertain Futuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thinking while drawing and drawing to think: Exploring ‘reflective doodling’ as a critical reflective practice in design for transitions.

Wallace¹

2020

Proceedings of DRS

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“…Opening to plural futures requires rethinking design. Specific calls or proposals have been previously posited, of which design for social innovation and sustainability (Manzini, 2015) and Transition design (Willis, 2015;Irwin, 2015) are widely known examples. However, in the following section, I take some concepts from different traditions to propose a program for action about futures -already suggested in academic design discourse.…”

Section: Controlling Timementioning

confidence: 99%

An Exploration of Some Aspects to Consider When Opening Futures

Alvarado

2022

Proc. Des. Soc.

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This paper follows the form of an essay, it offers a narrative review inquiring conceptually about opening futures. The main research question is: What concepts could help elucidate the new position of designers when futures are open? Four branches of literature from design are addressed, considering their core approaches: participation, infrastructures, systems thinking, and narratives. Focus on these four approaches could lead to profound discussions about what it means to open futures and the current relevance of expert design.

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“…The clichéd rhetoric of the problem/solution (IDEO, 2011) is as thoroughly embedded in the design discourse (Willis, 2015) as the use of the Post-it Note, or sketchbook. Framing design problems as solvable, and aspects of the problem as scientifically knowable, leads students down the perilous path to solutionism, where the challenges of the work are subsumed by the impractical effort to "solve" the problem.…”

Section: …And the Problem With Solutionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opacity, Transition, and Design Research

Mages¹,

Onafuwa²

2019

Cuadernos

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Historically, design education was structured around projects as solvable within a foreseeable and knowable future. However, researchers operating in the landscape of transition design must contend with far less certain terrain. Challenges fall outside the scope of what has commonly been understood as the designer's purview. Transition projects do not fit within the customary rhythms of political, economic, and governmental systems; they often require replete and complex coordination between actors in different systems; they are directed towards social, cultural, and psychological change; the location of practice is a living system that offers no reliable set of inflection points. Considering practice-based transition design research, this article outlines approaches taken, discusses challenges of conducting research, and proposes key considerations to address in future work.[Abstracts in spanish and portuguese at pages 281-282] (*) Michael Arnold Mages is a researcher and PhD candidate at Carnegie Mellon University. He also runs a design consultancy specializing in strategically oriented design practice: research, communications analysis, and planning, and is a partner in a startup that helps organizations have difficult conversations facilitated using deliberative democracy practices. Clients include mid-sized regionally oriented businesses, startups, universities, and Fortune 100 companies. Michael has taught research-informed design practice to students in business, computer science, and fine arts at the University of Colorado, The University of Denver, and now, Carnegie Mellon University. Michael's research includes designing for high-stakes and difficult conversations, sustainability, and designing for experience. michaelam@cmu.edu (**) Dimeji Onafuwa is a researcher and Ph.D. candidate at Carnegie Mellon University. His work seeks to understand the impact of platforms on contributing to the commons. A practicebased interpretation is how Ostrom's design principles might serve as a basis for user experience on platforms. Dimeji's work on a research project exploring multi-stakeholder interactions around tenant/landlord decision-making led to his work on tenancy as a contribution to the commons. Recently, he has begun investigating the emergence of patterns from commoning acts. Before joining CMU, Dimeji ran a design studio for eight years. He currently works as a UX consultant and serves on local government and corporate boards.

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Transition Design: the need to refuse discipline and transcend instrumentalism

Cited by 20 publications

References 1 publication

Thinking while drawing and drawing to think: Exploring ‘reflective doodling’ as a critical reflective practice in design for transitions.

Thinking while drawing and drawing to think: Exploring ‘reflective doodling’ as a critical reflective practice in design for transitions.

An Exploration of Some Aspects to Consider When Opening Futures

Opacity, Transition, and Design Research

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