Join today’s webinar of design anthropology with Murphy and Wilf, it is interesting to read people’s text first and meet in person. I would summarize several takeaway points from today.
Definition of design
the definition of design have no consensus yet, Murphy and Wilf choose a sociological and institutional understanding of design and designer. This is very similar to my understanding, but totally different with Escobar.
However, Wilf thinks designers working as architect is very different from those working in Google, this seemingly sounds true. But when analyse it, those trained as a product designer can do interaction design by self learning, and can work with architects freely. I would advocate the similarity between categories more than differences.
Interprete Form in Anthropology
I never found this topic complex or even worth talk about, maybe because I have taken it for granted in my past decade design practice. But Murphy mentions his recent interest into this area for his working experiences with architect, furniture and typeface designer. What does “Form” means? In English it has many room to be interpreted, like order, reformation, structure, and it can also be infused with personality and deal with uncertainty (this works like “material”, “color”, “style”). I interpreted a hundred possible direction in my afternoon nap today that I almost forget all of them. Like form as an action and an outcome, aesthetics and order, etc.
This linguistic understanding can bunch together with design related words like “pattern”, “plan”, “make”. Wilf simply speaks that “Form” is a myth to him and he will never touch it. This increases my interest in this direction because this is I am most familiar with.
Ethnography as a design process
The similarity between ethnography and design is like knowledge production and things production. Anthropologists long neglect the creativity in their working process, while design neglects a systematic critical thinking. It can be considered an expertise exchange between the two disciplines.
Co-presence as collaboration
Collaboration of design studio model in pedagogy and work environment does not means people work together all the time. In fact, most of design work are highly individual. But the studio is a space for co-presence, that works as a form of collaboration.
Process and Sensibility — most interesting
Although companies like silicone valley sell design and promote and public discourse of design and technology. Murphy says in science and technology study of design, the most interesting part is still its process and sensibility.
Decolonizing design
While Wilf briefly responds to my quest to talk more about design & neoliberalism, form/order, ethics/aesthetics, decolonizing design. He picks the last one and deconstructs the topic into different levels, like authority, practice, and culture sense. But they both leave their email so there is possibility for later communication.
Books mentioned
- on committing to deafblind community.
Terra Edwards, In preparation. “Going Tactile: Life at the Limits of Language.” Book Project. Under Consideration, Oxford Studies in the Anthropology of Language. Oxford University Press. - on creativity in china
Lily Chumley, 2016, Creativity Class: Art School and Culture Work in Postsocialist China, Princeton University Press. - on design thinking for life
Burnett, Bill, and Dave Evans. 2016. Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life. Illustrated edition. New York: Knopf. - on decolonizing design
Escobar, Professor Arturo. 2018. Designs for the Pluriverse: Radical Interdependence, Autonomy, and the Making of Worlds. Durham: Duke Univ Pr.
