Showing papers in "Design Journal in 2015"
TL;DR: In the last decade, growing attention has been paid to the potential value of design theory and practice in improving public services as mentioned in this paper, where Experience-based Co-design (EBCD) is a participatory researc...
Abstract: Over the last decade, growing attention has been paid to the potential value of design theory and practice in improving public services. Experience-based Co-design (EBCD) is a participatory researc...
279 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors suggest that service designers need to worry less about embedding design in the organization and pay more attention to organizational design legacies that are already in place, those design principles, methods and practices that are deeply embedded in organizational life.
Abstract: This paper suggests that service designers need to worry less about embedding design in the organization and pay more attention to organizational design legacies that are already in place—those design principles, methods and practices that are already deeply embedded in organizational life. These design legacies, however flawed and poorly suited, need to be articulated, visualized and engaged with to effect real change in real organizations. Accordingly, this paper explains why and how design is part of the organizational DNA. It then introduces the concept of organizational design legacies and explains three of its elements: organizational purpose, organizational design approaches and organizational design practices. Finally, it calls on service designers to initiate design conversations and provides two examples of design conversation pieces to illustrate how this may be done. The purpose of the paper is to show how service designers may engage organizations they work with in high-level transfor...
47 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors propose an anthropology of services with implications for service science and design, arguing that services have long characterized the human condition and that they are always embedded in local contexts.
Abstract: This paper proposes an anthropology of services with implications for service science and design. Contemporary services are often presented as a rupture with previous economic regimes such as manufacturing, a discontinuity that allows services to be conceptualized as a professional domain. We argue instead that services have long characterized the human condition and that they are always embedded in local contexts. An anthropology of services explicates these social contexts to develop more varied and grounded approaches to service encounters, notions of co-production and co-creation, value propositions and service systems. Paradoxically, an anthropology of services draws attention to the conceptual and methodological messiness of service worlds and in doing so it contributes to expanding our understanding of the variety of services, the limits to their conceptualization as objects of design and the possibilities for intervening in and around them to contribute to human betterment.
20 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the role of cross-organizational service networks in a Finnish municipality-initiated research and development project was discussed, where the intention was to apply collaborative and customer-centred service development.
Abstract: This paper portrays cross-organizational collaboration in service networks as a new challenging context for service design. The paper reflects on the role of cross-organizational service networks in a Finnish municipality-initiated research and development project. The project sought to develop new practices for supporting independent living for the elderly involving diverse organizations across public, private and third sectors. The intent was to apply collaborative and customer-centred service development. For this paper, interviews were reviewed from 16 project participants to find out how they perceived cross-organizational collaboration and the role of service design in this project. From these findings, we identified barriers to collaborations that originated in tensions between different organizations and structural and situational barriers that sometimes could be traced to specific mindsets on an organizational level. Based on the insights from these interviews, we explain how service desi...
18 citations
TL;DR: The Delphi study as mentioned in this paper was conducted to fill definitional deficits that exist in the discussions around social sustainability in design, and the results from three rounds of the study opened a rich and multi-layered debate amongst a panel of experts from across the spectrum of design and sustainability.
Abstract: This paper describes a Delphi Study conducted to begin filling the definitional deficits that exist in the discussions around social sustainability in design. The results from three rounds of the study opened a rich and multi-layered debate amongst a panel of experts from across the spectrum of design and sustainability. The paper opens by establishing a contextual background for the study and then follows with the delivery of the Delphi Study rounds and outcomes produced by the productive back and forth dialogue between researcher and experts. In conclusion, the paper presents a ‘living’ construct for social sustainability in design, as well as a framework of practical competencies designers should demonstrate to move the discussion in a more pragmatic direction.
17 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors look at established paradigms of designing with Aboriginal communities and posit the notion of "storytelling" as a methodology of design practice and reconciliation, through the experiences of a small Australian architectural practice working with Aboriginal people in Central Australia.
Abstract: Inclusive design in architecture describes an approach that aims to encourage broad participation in design decisions. In Australian Aboriginal communities the practice of inclusive design is challenged by a complex policy environment, by language barriers, by cultural differences, by economic disadvantage, by time and by distance. The importance of inclusive design in Aboriginal communities is heightened because of these challenges. Here, architectural projects – regardless of the building typology – are not simply about new buildings. They carry with them the added burdens of addressing health, employment and equity in disadvantaged and often marginalized places. Through the experiences of a small Australian architectural practice working with Aboriginal people in Central Australia, this paper will look at established paradigms of designing with Aboriginal communities and posit the notion of ‘storytelling’ as a methodology of design practice and reconciliation.
14 citations
TL;DR: The notion of ecological design has been around for decades, yet a genuine praxis of designing ecologically has been slow to emerge as discussed by the authors, which is a problem about how we understand our perception of and relationship with the other, the rest of nature and ourselves.
Abstract: The notion of ecological design has rightly been around for decades, yet a genuine praxis of designing ecologically has been slow to emerge. We believe this is a problem about how we understand our perception of and relationship with the other, the rest of nature and ourselves. This paper attempts to synthesize a new epistemology of design which we refer to as an ecology of design and in which we try to understand the systemic relationships which constitute the human ecology of living and in which the practice of design forms an integral part. We use the ideas of some phenomenological philosophers and bio-cognitive scientists to explain the systemic dynamics of the ecology of design and, mainly through Humberto Maturana's notion of conversation, we suggest a new cognitive basis of design directed by human embodied and ecological emotion. We conclude with some implications for a praxis of ecological design with a special focus on an ethical domain of design.
13 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors adopt a Design Anthropology perspective when considering the design of community based services for the elderly, and explore notions of life as lived to reveal alternative conceptual frames that can often be overlooked in service design.
Abstract: This paper proposes adopting a Design Anthropology perspective when considering the design of community based services for the elderly. Drawing on two service design projects located in the Byker area of Newcastle, which brought together Ordnance Survey, Age UK Newcastle and a service design Post Graduate Masters programme, this perspective utilises anthropology’s ethnographic method and a specific anthropological theory, to expand service design discourses and reframe the importance of place and place making in the design of community services. In particular, the paper takes the work of Ingold and a phenomenological perspective to explore notions of life as lived to reveal alternative conceptual frames that can often be overlooked in service design. These methods and concepts adopted from anthropology both reveal and theorise the messiness of everyday life. The work goes on to examine the challenges of commensurating these community practices, with the values that the research revealed and to integrate them into viable services of the elderly.
13 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the historical origins and sociological perspectives of material culture of religion, with a specific reference to Islam and Sufism, interrogating religious objects with a view to focusing on their functionality.
Abstract: Religious artefacts are usually evaluated in the light of good-old symbolism rather than functionality. This makes these artefacts perceived as objects alienated to the contemporary paradigm of design in its classical sense the outcome of the formula ‘form follows function’. However, symbolism is not sufficient to explain the material culture of religious objects, because they mostly refer to specific practices and rituals. In this situation there is a strong need to go beyond purely symbolic patterns and have a fresh look at the issue of functionality and design.This paper aims to discuss the historical origins and sociological perspectives of material culture of religion, with a specific reference to Islam and Sufism, interrogating religious objects with a view to focusing on their functionality. All these discussions are structured on the three basic categories of function, namely; techno-function, socio-function and ideo-function.
12 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present two European Union-funded projects: Life 2.0 and My Neighbourhood, which aim to create location-based and socially networked services to support elderly people in living independently.
Abstract: This paper is based on two European Union-funded projects: Life 2.0, which was recently completed, and My Neighbourhood, which is still ongoing. The goal of the former was to create location-based and socially networked services to support elderly people in living independently. The aim of the latter is to develop a platform to activate hidden or latent resources in neighbourhoods. Both of the projects are an application of service design to the public sector and together provide useful insights about designing and scaling up highly localized and personalized services and service platforms. While several analogies can be found between the existing generation of social networking platforms and the services proposed in these projects, there are also several important differences that challenge the way local and individual services should be designed in the perspective of being scaled up to larger contexts.This paper reflects on the lesson learned from the work undertaken so far and proposes criteria...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors unpack the concept of simplicity as it is applied in Apple's design philosophy and explore aspects of simplicity including integrity, essence, deference, style, and honesty.
Abstract: Simplicity is acknowledged to be an important criterion of design at Apple. Yet, the nature of this simplicity has yet to be clearly elucidated. The purpose of this article is to unpack the concept of simplicity as it is applied in Apple’s design philosophy. In particular, aspects of simplicity including integrity, essence, deference, style, and honesty are characterized and explored using examples of Apple products. Tensions among these qualities are also examined.
TL;DR: Investigating relationships between online trust and service design in order to provide a guideline on how to design the feedback system that addresses users' practical and emotional requirements shows that service design can support all components required to build trust.
Abstract: Generally, people have a good understanding of their local areas. Hence, encouraging them to share this tacit knowledge with local authorities, urban designers and city planners could help improve the quality of public space design significantly. However, persuading people to share their concerns/ideas about their areas, especially through a digital platform, presents a real challenge. One of the main barriers is a lack of trust in the public feedback system. Thus, this research investigates relationships between online trust and service design in order to provide a guideline on how to design the feedback system that addresses users' practical and emotional requirements. A mixed-methods approach was employed to identify key factors affecting online trust and their implications on service design. Six key factors affecting online trust were identified and combined to form a basis for service design guidelines. The outcomes show that service design can support all components required to build trust.
TL;DR: It is suggested that the context of critical design must be expanded if it is to escape this deadlock and outlined a method for analysing YouTube data which draws on site statistics, content analysis, grounded theory and critical theory.
Abstract: Critical design and design for debate seek to critique contemporary society through the production of provocative artefacts that cause the viewer to reflect on current trends, assumptions and values. But such designs are typically displayed in relatively elitist contexts – art galleries, conference halls and academic publications. Many designers are now making short films of their work and posting them to sites like Vimeo and YouTube. This paper considers such sites as potential spaces for widening the context of critical design. It describes responses on YouTube to three videos of designs by Freddie Yauner. The Fastest Clock in the World is a clock that gives time to a millionth of a second, The Highest Popping Toaster in the World uses a compressed gas-powered mechanism to fire toast at the ceiling, Signs of Life appears to be a fire exit sign until the stick figure running for the door begins to yawn, stretch and wander out of shot to take a break. A film of each was posted to YouTube and the c...
TL;DR: This paper classifies existing frameworks for movement-based interaction that focus on user experience by their type and by characteristics that could help practitioners intending to design applications of that sort to make informed decisions about what framework to employ.
Abstract: Recent technological developments have made it possible for digital technology to offer interaction modes that can engage the whole body. These systems can track the users’ movements to support rehabilitation, to play games or to create music, among other activities. One important implication of interacting with the whole body is the increased relevance of the user’s experience. A number of approaches and frameworks have been proposed to design these movement-based systems and some of them pay special attention to the user’s experience. This paper maps the space of design frameworks for movement-based interaction that focus on user experience. It classifies existing frameworks by their type and by characteristics that could help practitioners intending to design applications of that sort to make informed decisions about what framework to employ. Additionally, and to illustrate the use of the classification, we include a case study related with selecting and deploying some of these frameworks for a...
TL;DR: The design thinking concept emphasizes the actual activity of solving problems with a design approach, associating it to the designer's knowledge and competence instead of the intimate link between design and the physical object as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The design thinking concept emphasizes the actual activity of solving problems with a design approach, associating it to the designer's knowledge and competence instead of the intimate link between design and the physical object. Yet design consultancies still have problems charging for intangible components in their offerings and for the role of strategic consultants. We argue that the design thinking concept is in line with a service-dominant logic rather than a goods-dominant logic, and that this approach can be the basis for communicating the value of design to clients. The problem faced by industrial design consultancies is not unique and hence the findings can contribute to other industries undergoing a shift from a focus on products towards enabling service.
TL;DR: In this paper, a field survey of 240 office workers (ranging in age from 55 to 75) in three recently constructed sustainable office buildings was conducted to investigate the sets of common factors in a sustainable building system that influence the experience of older office workers, and analyses the correlations from the perspective of human factors discipline.
Abstract: Compared to 20 years ago, there are growing numbers of older office workers globally. Despite the growing importance of ‘inclusive design’ and a ‘sustainable’ research agenda, there is little knowledge of what the ageing workforce sector requires, and there is little known about the strengths and weaknesses of current sustainable workspace designs for older workers. This study explores ageing workers' experiences through a field survey of 240 office workers (ranging in age from 55 to 75) in three recently constructed sustainable office buildings. It investigates the sets of common factors in a sustainable building system that influence the experience of older office workers, and analyses the correlations from the perspective of the human factors discipline. This paper discusses the implications of the study on practice from two points of view: (i) the ageing workforce and (ii) the sustainable development of office buildings, and suggests a number of future research issues regarding a user-responsi...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate how politicized wall writings in contemporary Athens are informed by their urban context, examining the sites and material surfaces of application, as well as the events during which they were executed.
Abstract: This paper investigates how politicized wall writings in contemporary Athens are informed by their urban context. It examines the sites and material surfaces of application, as well as the events during which they were executed. The paper deploys Kress and van Leeuwen’s notion of ‘semiotic landscape’ to capture the cultural specificity and historical development that determines how this practice is perceived in its context. It attempts a close examination of politicized writings on a specific wall in Athens’ city centre and utilizes the Latourian concept of ‘iconoclash’ to expose the latent meaning of these marginal image wars in Athens. The paper aims to introduce an architectural method of reading graffiti in situ and to provide insights into the Athenian particularity of the phenomenon.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss the particular design process of a man, diagnosed with autism, who aspires to capture experience in designing his own living environment, which raises fundamental questions about issues that seem to be taken for granted in our own context of designing.
Abstract: In conceiving the built environment, designers are inherently involved in shaping spaces people will live in. On the assumption that their interventions in space affect people’s experience, many designers take up the responsibility to take people’s experience into account. However, given the diversity of people who interact with space, it is still a challenge for designers to anticipate the diverse experiences of future users.Building on designers’ challenge in anticipating experience, this paper discusses the particular design process of a man, diagnosed with autism, who aspires to capture experience in designing his own living environment. Although his structured sequence of well-reasoned design decisions could be read in the light of an autistic way of thinking, the story of the man himself offers a more nuanced picture of his design approach, which raises fundamental questions about issues that seem to be taken for granted in our own context of designing.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe how the way in which the power of individuals, communities and nations is organized can be traced through the organization of space and the architectural forms of administrative buildings.
Abstract: The capital city of Cyprus, Nicosia, has been the seat of government and administrative authority throughout the island's history. The Lusignan reign in the twelfth century (1192–1489) was followed by Venetian (1489–1571), Ottoman (1571–1878) and British (1878–1960) rule until the establishment of the independent state of Cyprus (1960–1963). Today, Nicosia is the last divided capital city in Europe, serving the Turkish Cypriots in the north and the Greek Cypriots in the south of the island. The palaces, monuments and governmental centres illustrate how territorial belonging and power were defined and reflected in the buildings of the city itself. The way in which the power of individuals, communities and nations is organized can be traced through the organization of space and the architectural forms of administrative buildings. This paper elaborates on the ideas and experiences of architects with regard to the ideational background, symbolic significance and relationship between art form and polit...
TL;DR: The Picturing Moral Courage: The Rescuers exhibit as mentioned in this paper, which has been displayed within the public spaces of 13 cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) since 2011, centres on the stories of ordinary people who saved the lives of "others" from enemy groups during genocide.
Abstract: This study looks at the design practice behind the exhibition, Picturing Moral Courage: The Rescuers. This ‘difficult’ exhibition, which has been displayed within the public spaces of 13 cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) since 2011, centres on the stories of ordinary people who saved the lives of ‘others’ from enemy groups during genocide. We examine some of the practice-led questions that were raised during the design of the exhibit, and outline a propositional conceptual theoretical model of analysis that combines critical hermeneutics with Th e D es ig n Jo ur na l Willhemina Wahlin and Leora Kahn 53 6 social semiotic, multimodal analysis, in order to support design practice.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the results of their interviews on feature creep in design education, including its causes, strategies to avoid problems it causes, and a method of teaching students how to avoid it.
Abstract: Many recent studies have focused on feature creep in professional design. However, although feature creep has received relatively little attention in student design works, feature creep does occur in design class. This study aims to gain a deeper understanding of feature creep in the work of design students through interviews with students, professors and teaching assistants (TAs). We present the results of our interviews on feature creep in design education, including its causes, strategies to avoid problems it causes, and a method of teaching students how to avoid it. Our results also show the necessity of educational guidance for dealing with feature creep. Based on our results, we formulate design implications for guiding more effective education to avoid feature creep problems.
TL;DR: Walker et al. as discussed by the authors presented Designing Sustainability: Making Radical Changes in a Material World by Stuart Walker, a book about making radical changes in a material world, with a focus on sustainability.
Abstract: (2015). Designing Sustainability: Making Radical Changes in a Material World by Stuart Walker. The Design Journal: Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 295-299.
TL;DR: In this article, a succession of countercultural music scenes in the region of former Yugoslavia and their visual expressions are discussed, including the work of influential designers Dragan S. Stefanovic and Mirko Ilic, and Sarajevan collectives New Primitvs and Trio.
Abstract: This paper looks at the succession of countercultural music scenes in the region of former Yugoslavia and their visual expressions. They deserve attention not only as important cultural formations largely unknown outside of Yugoslavia, but also because of critical questions raised by their current revival. The paper will discuss the work of influential designers Dragan S. Stefanovic and Mirko Ilic, and Sarajevan collectives New Primitvs and Trio, tracing a visual subcultural heritage that evolved from one scene onto another from the 1980s to the present. ‘Cool’ is the identity framework that governed all generations of Yugoslav countercultural scenes. Positioned as an alternative to the mainstream, it served as a platform to innovate. In reaching its maturity during the 1990s Yugoslav war, it became the ideal vehicle to express a cosmopolitan vision rooted in the multi-ethnic culture of Sarajevo, an antidote to the ethnic conflict that plagued the region. It is this cosmopolitan vision that is que...
TL;DR: In this paper, two guerrilla poster actions of Slovene design group Novi kolektivizem ([NK] New Collectivism) marking two milestones in the contemporary history of Slovenia: the war and the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia in 1991 and the culmination of political and economic crisis in 2012.
Abstract: The paper focuses on two guerrilla poster actions of Slovene design group Novi kolektivizem ([NK] New Collectivism) marking two milestones in the contemporary history of Slovenia: the war and the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia in 1991 and the culmination of political and economic crisis in 2012. NK put under scrutiny the constitutive elements that transform posters into political tools, experimenting with the iconography of political posters from the First World War. Both poster actions transformed the well known ‘pointing figure’ into a tool of dissent, and a call for the cessation of totalitarianism challenging young democracies like Slovenia.