OLD RENDITION as of 1/28:

With the continual advance and the popularity of technology in our world, culture has become a concept that is largely artificially manufactured. The result is that human experience is conjured up and true cultural exchanges diluted. This has had a detrimental impact on the design industry. An experiential web platform that is a repository of human experience, culture, artifacts and design methodology would serve as a design process tool for graphic designers and help in the creation of sound creative development.

NEW STATEMENTS:

Number 1:
With the continual advance and the popularity of technology in our world, culture has become a concept that is largely artificially manufactured. The detrimental result is that human experience is conjured up and true cultural exchanges diluted. An experiential web platform that is a repository of human experience, culture, artifacts and design methodology would serve as a design process tool for graphic designers and help in the creation of authoritative creative development.

Number 2:
With the continual advance and the popularity of technology in our world, culture has become a concept that is largely artificially manufactured. The detrimental result is that human experience is conjured up and true cultural exchanges diluted. An experiential web platform that is a repository of human experience, culture, artifacts and design methodology would serve as a design process tool for graphic designers and help in the creation of culturally relevant design.

Number 3:
With the continual advance and the popularity of technology in our world, culture has become a concept that is largely artificially manufactured. The detrimental result is that human experience is conjured up and true cultural exchanges diluted. An experiential web platform that is a repository of human experience, culture, artifacts and design methodology would serve as a design process tool for graphic designers and help in the creation of authoritative design.

(Thanks to the assistance given by Professor Field, Ericca, Rhett and several more reviewers).

Before I build my concept map very often I create an initial piece that just captures some of the thoughts that are running through my head on the subjects that I am tackling. After reviewing the material that Jon Kolko offered I began to create this visual that shows how the stimuli of remnants of experience can contribute to the generation of design concepts.

The previous visual that I posted included the thoughts that came to me during my explorations as well as shows the major factors than can have a major influence in the process.

Final Concept Map is forthcoming.

I wanted to post this preliminary list. Next I want to explore very closely whether there are any sites that are working toward bringing real experiences to the design experience. This list includes journal articles, books and a video.

See the attached for my preliminary bibliography list. KEdwards_Thesis_BIBLIOGRAPHY1

The two new tools that I spent the most time using were RefWorks and Mendeley. I found that RefWorks was particularly a good organization tool. I felt that this would have been very helpful in my organizing the material for previous courses. I always took care to set up specific folders and set certain naming conventions but I often found myself lost in a search for a specific item or work. I think that RefWorks will be of great value as I compile information for my thesis project. I have begun to order some of the material that I have already gathered.

I do feel that I could easily surrender my old practices to the practice of using a research and organization tool. I find that I still am not accustomed to viewing the screen for all aspects of building a project but I am willing to try. As the years have gone by I do see less notebooks and sticky notes around me. I am holding onto the tangible but there is an attraction to those online tools. This struggle actually relates to my own thesis focus.

Mendeley has great possibilities. I was thrilled when I was immediately offered information on topics that have some relationship to my industry. Mendeley seems to be a type of mastermind. Some new good additions were “Cultural Probes and the Value of Uncertainty” by William Gaver and “A ‘Social Model’ of Design: Issues of Practice and Research” by V. Margolin and S. Margolin. I also think that the article “Design Methods” by John Jones will provide a lot of knowledge. One aspect to be mindful of is the date of publication. I hope to use the most current documents. However, there are some older documents that can provide some valuable information on design methodology.

With the continual advance and the popularity of technology in our world, culture has become something that is largely artificially manufactured. The result is that human experience is conjured up and true cultural exchanges diluted. This has had a detrimental impact on the design industry. An experiential web platform that is a repository of human experience, culture, artifacts and design methodology would serve as a design process tool for graphic designers and help in the creation of sound design development.

Before I get back to another attempt at formulating a brief thesis statement I want to discuss a recent show that I saw at the Dallas Museum of Art. It was a presentation of the early art of poster design. In the beginning, during the late 1800s, it was called the “affiche artistique” (artistic poster). This was the visual expression of poster deign that took place in Paris starting with Jule Chéret in the 1870s. The work was breathtaking. There are few shows that I have gone to where I walked around with my jaw dropped open.

This is an instance when the life around Paris inspired the artist to create this early form of graphic design. There is no better way to show how culture can inspire design. Now after learning more about the principles of synthesis provided by Jon Kolko, I can see how it is at play here. Artists/designers like Jules Chéret, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Pierre Bonnard took in the sights of the world that existed around them and then formulated posters that reflected their experiences. In several displays I was able to view preliminary sketches that were created before the final color lithograph or painting was made. The connection is undeniable.

During this period in Paris it was a glorious time of exploration and a case of life and culture informing design. There was such a simple connection that all viewers could identify. In our current world the origins of inspiration and the forms of visual expression are much more complex but I feel on many occassions the principles and methods behind the creation process is the same.

If you have an opportunity to see Posters of Paris: Toulousse-Lautrec and His Contemporaries — please do.

Jules Chéret, Teatre de L’Opera Carnaval, 1892.

Rhetorical Précis

Citation:
Kolko, Jon. “Abductive Thinking and Sensemaking: The Drivers of Design Synthesis.” Massachusetts Institute of Technology Design Issues 26.1: 15 – 28. Print.

Analysis:
Jon Kolko in “Abductive Thinking and Sensemaking: The Drivers of Design Synthesis” asserts that synthesis is at the core of the design process. Synthesis is the processing and the structuring of data in order to come to a cohesive and ordered result. Kolko identifies principles and methods that support his claim that designers do utilize synthesis to gain insights and build design concepts. He clearly presents that synthesis occurs and not the “magic” that clients frequently imply. The building blocks behind Kolko’s theory are abductive thinking and sensemaking.

It is key to understand the principles that Kolko introduces in his article. In reference to abduction, he states, “It is the hypothesis that makes the most sense given observed phenomenon or data and based on prior experience” (Kolko 20). Essentially it is the manner of reaching a conclusion based on earlier experiences and patterns. Kolko logically presents how experience can mold abductive thoughts and actions. What is highly significant is that Jon Kolko determines that experience outside of the realm of technology can help build the design ideation process.

Sensemaking is the effort to make correlations and connections. Kolko notes that there is “prioritization, judging and the forging of connections” (22). Abductive thinking and sensemaking are great contributors to the development and the refining of a design. Many organizations make use of these approaches. It is not uncommon to find even areas where designers post a grouping of images. Kolko discusses this practice as he describes a type of “incubation period.” He writes about how designers create real and tangible manifestations of their ideas in this period of synthesis. Some organizations have open spaces where ideas are posted in a public manner so that the active exchange of ideas can easily be achieved. Synthesis is the coming together and the realization of cognitive thoughts and personal reflection. Kolko is rightfully showing that it is time for designers to acknowledge synthesis in the advancement of their work.

Kolko’s aim is to show the essential role that synthesis plays in the design process in order to educate all about the way that designers architect their creations. He reveals, “When synthesis is “given its due,” the results appear to be magical. By applying these methods in practice, by commonly and continually describing the role of synthesis, and by considering synthesis in Design Research, both practitioners and researchers can better realize how life experience drives design decisions, and how inferential leaps can systematically drive innovation” (27). These are the fruitful forces behind those seemingly “mysterious” creations. Kolko would counter the assertion of Dan Myer who claims, “Some designs actually do seem to come out of thin air, like the Citibank logo that Paula Scher infamously drew on a napkin during an early meeting with the client” (Myer, “Examining The Design Process,” Smashing Magazine) Though I do sense that his comment is laced in sarcasm.

Jon Kolko is addressing the designers, the researchers and those members of the larger business community in this scholarly article. His argument is credible. He provides great insights on a process that has been misrepresented and trivialized for years. As he explained in the earlier portion of his article, it is time for all to understand that the design profession is one grounded on keen observation, research and cognitive correlations and associations. His rhetorical style is one of presenting a logical argument. This is effective in his need to face contrary public opinion that is based on impression and emotion.

Questions:

1. How does abductive thinking assist in the building of a design process?

2. In utilizing the techniques of sensemaking what obstacles can distort the vision?

3. What is the significance of embracing synthesis as being a major factor in the generation of ideas?

Resources:

Kolko, Jon. “The Phenomenon of Synthesis.” TEDxCreativeCoast. 18 June 2010. Web 25
Jan. 2013.

Myer, Dan. “Examining The Design Process: Clichés and Idea Generation.” Smashing
Magazine. 21 Feb 2011. Web 25 Jan. 2013.

Oldach, Mark. “Creativity for Graphic Designers.” Cincinnati: North Light Books. 2000.
Print.

I decided to explore the work of the design strategist and educator, Jon Kolko. He had performed research on the design process and the way that designers utilize materials in their concept development. He is a strong advocate for the use of artifacts and tangible objects in various stages of design.

On the site of Jon Kolko there are a series of articles posted. The one that has the most pertinent material is “Trusting the Design Process.” However there is also “Transformative Learning in the Design Studio.” In this piece Kolko is identifying the need to understand some of the learning models that have been in existence in the realm of design education.

In “Trusting the Design Process” Kolko is sharing his knowledge and expertise with others and introducing teaching points and methods.

Some of the methods that he notes are the following:

•  Conduct immersive, ethnographic research.

•  Synthesize the research to arrive at the “big rocks” of innovation

•  Sketch lots and lots of scenarios that introduce new products, systems, or services

•  Visualize the “designed touchpoints” in real artifacts

•  Test the results with real people

His objective is to bring real experience into the design process.

In order to branch out and expand my thoughts a little more I explored a second topic idea. I am still gravitating to my first idea but I thought that this second idea would be interesting. This is actually the polar opposite to my first concept.

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The Tacit in Design: Subversive Messaging that Advances Social and Cultural Concerns

Graphic design has become a highly pictorial and visual field with the increased use of computer and mobile technologies. Designers advance themes that are inferred and only eluded to in design as opposed to being directly communicated with explicit intensity. This study will explore the phenomenon of tacit messaging conveyed in design as it subversively reflects the relationship between society and culture.