Knowledge Base Repository
In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.
DESIGN AS THE RESOLUTION OF PARADOXES: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY
Morgan, Thea; McMahon, Chris
Type:
Year:
2015
Editor:
Christian Weber, Stephan Husung, Gaetano Cascini, Marco Cantamessa, Dorian Marjanovic, Monica Bordegoni
Author:
Series:
ICED
Institution:
University of Bristol, United Kingdom
Section:
Human Behaviour in Design, Design Education
Page(s):
215-226
ISBN:
978-1-904670-74-2
ISSN:
2220-4334
Abstract:
This paper presents an ethnomethodological case study of a student engineering design team during their final year design project. The results were analysed with reference to a theoretical framework, based on Dorst s (2006) model, in which a design problem is taken as a paradox, made up out of the clash of conflicting discourses and the nature of creative design is the forging of connections between these discourses . Three key discourses emerged from the data, that of the commercial sponsor', the university , and the student group . It is suggested that the commercial sponsor and university discourses were in conflict, forming the central paradox at the heart of the design problem. The student group failed to resolve this paradox, and went on to significantly underachieve in their design project. The aim of this research was to explore and describe the complex ways in which design emerges in practice, using Dorst s model of design problems as a theoretical framework. The framework has proved a useful and insightful way of considering how design occurs naturally in interactions between people.
Keywords:
