So first I did a quick scamper through Peak Everything: peak climate, peak biodiversity, peak oil, peak food, peak water, peak credit and so on; I touched on Adbusters' notions of a Doomsday Machine Economy and True Cost Economics; and I repeated my proposition that we are all emerging economies now.
For part 2 of my talk, I tabled two keywords that I find work well in re-framing our situation as “terrible — but not hopeless.” The first word was catagenesis which means “renewal through reversion to a simpler state — followed by the emergence of a novel form of society.” The second word was resilience which means (in the words of Transition Towns) “the capacity of a system to absorb disturbance, and reorganize, while undergoing change.” I concluded this second part of my talk with the proposition that design research needs to evolve from a human-centered to an all-of-life-centered activity.
In preparing part 3 of my talk, I had a good idea that, given what I know about design researchers, they'd be thinking by this point: "yeah, yeah, end of civilization, yadda yadda — but where's the cool research opportunity?"
So I went to Birmigham prepared. I asked the design researchers to imagine, with me, that a Doors of Perception University had been established and that, in 2020, a degree-awarding ceremony was about to take place:
Twenty-five PhDs were to be awarded at this ten-years-from-now ceremony - and I had brought along copies of the theses of the successful candidates to show them. And here they are:
(I believe Dena Fam may aleady be busy on just this PhD, in which case apologies.)
Comments [11]
In Victoria, Australia we have post bush fires seen the use of the term resilience used to reference communities return from disaster.
I had been concerned with 'human centred' design which recalled work I did on 'biomic design' or the creation of an ideal environment for human existence. A bit like Desmond Morris did with the Naked Ape, situating humans as a part not apart from nature.
Interesting to see Mercedes new concept car out of the USA called the biome.
12.13.10
05:44
12.13.10
05:51
12.13.10
07:03
12.14.10
02:49
And this is a BIG case of the ideas and projects and ideas NEEDING to be submitted before its too late.
12.14.10
07:59
I van Illich? Cy Bernetic? Rep Rapp? Tot Ness?
Well done, John. Clever wit and and important subject. Thank you.
Of course I submit my own, 2010, PhD-in-progress as an example of necessary design research now!
Futurescaper: Experiments in Large-scale Participatory Futures Systems
12.14.10
10:11
12.15.10
03:16
12.16.10
02:18
12.16.10
03:41
I am a communication designer (graphic designer = or ex graphic designer) and the design of these covers is irrelevant. They do the job required: propositions that are rapid prototypes or mockups of possible pathways.
Having completed a Master of Design by Research I find myself generally uninspired by the "design research" community.
It is tiring arguing about "design" and it's role.
It's already happening out there - by everyday people.
I am drawn to Permaculture and urban food systems, which is down to earth, accessible and immediate. And Transition Towns as tools for building resilience in communities. I am looking to the possibility of taking my knowledge and passions to social science as a more tangible way to conduct research applicable to real world actions. It's time to get on with it.
02.03.11
06:09
05.20.11
09:40