BRINGING A FULLER SOCIO-TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE TO DESIGN DECISIONS
Year: 2015
Editor: Christian Weber, Stephan Husung, Gaetano Cascini, Marco Cantamessa, Dorian Marjanovic, Monica Bordegoni
Author: Kokotovich, Vasilije
Series: ICED
Institution: University of Technology Sydney, Australia
Section: Design for Life
Page(s): 217-226
ISBN: 978-1-904670-64-3
ISSN: 2220-4334
Abstract
More often than not Designers and Design Engineers, tend to focus on Techno-physical aspects as they move through their design process. It is argued even the smallest and seemingly benign design decision, during the design process, may have a large and significant impact upon issues outside of the techno-physical focus [i.e. sustainability]. The paper will draw upon the idea within the technological change literature that it is not merely technologies advancing at and exponential rate but non-technical issues are increasing as well. There is a strong relationship between technology, society, and the environment. This paper will frame and discuss our need to educate future Designers/Design engineers to consider technical issues in parallel with larger issues generally considered to be outside the domain of Design / Design engineering. If we are able to find methods that assist both our present and future designers to become Active Players in seriously considering how we impact larger socio-cultural issues, which include notions of sustainability, we may embed a full/rich Socio-Technical Perspective within every aspect of our design decisions, and the outcoMES we generate.
Keywords: Decision Making, Design Education, Sustainability