Design Sensibility

Design Sensibility

was the topic presented by Fionn, Triona and Lucy (08 - 03-2010).

"What makes good Design" was the issue debated by Fionn.

He focused on the key aspects of design such as constraints and affordances etc When addressing Don Norman's Affordances he categorized them into; cognitive; scissors, physical; cooker and perceptual. He also reminded us also that when designing for people the designer should; design with the audience in mind and incorporate an Iterative approach, prototype and carry out User testing.

Lucy outlined Thoughtful interaction Design (2004) by Lowgrent & Stollerman "Constructive Intentional Intelligence" in:

"The role of the designer and the evolution of its concept"

She used a good example of the dishwasher outlook; with the evolution of thought going from being a very handy device for washing dishes to now when we are rethinking its use interms of its harm to the environment. Also making reference to Meredith Davis (2008): Graphic Design v Interaction Design, Lucy alluded to how design should be thought, including that students learn best from experience. A suggestion I would have to agree with and while researching this interesting area myself I came across this blog on conferences held on planing the best way to educate designers for the future. As you can imagine it has to take many factors into consideration and brings together a diverse range of designers gather their thoughts on the topic.

The following is my Mind Map of the seminar:

Part 3: "Designing the Designer"
For this part Triona defined AIGA: Designer of 2015 Trend predictions, this incorporates;

1. Wide & Deep (Drawing from experience and specialization)
   
2. Expanded Scope: the scale and complexity of design problems
3. Targeted messages
4. Break through
   
5. Co-Creation
6. Sharing Experiences
7. Responsible outcomes
   

Because AIGA's main responsibility is to keep up to date with developments in industry, it insists on understanding the role of designers and how to prepare them for changes in the future. This seems to be the way forward and an essential system in order for effective design solutions. Here is a link to a blog outling AIGA's theory on educating and preparing designers to design and the world of design.

The following is also a nice video about the benefits of designers to join AIGA, including to be in the know of what other designers are doing and to get jobs!!!



Get inspired, Get connected, Get informed, Get motivated!!

Other related topics covered by Triona included Macroscope, which helps us to see what the aggregation of many small actions looks like, when they are added together (Thackera, 2005). As well as Incorporating Co-Creators, designers and users, Dandale 2009 states " Story telling has the most power to co-create solutions that are meaningful from a variety of perspectives". Co-Creation can satisfy the need for creative activity and also the need for social interacion (Sanders, 2009). An example given of co-creation was deviantart, (an outlet for fellow designers to showcase their work). The challenges to co-creation were also presented, one of which includes; What is the place of the designer if everyone else is a co-creator and can access design tools? A worrying thought for many designers, but there are reassurance in the fact that the designer will still have the edge with their wealth of experience and skill.