Freeing design education from methods and doctrines
Design process looses the 'sense of process' because it is being taught as a method to be applied. So how do we awaken the sense of process, first in us and then in the students....
As methods and theories precede the process of knowing a cognitive reversal happens and reasoning becomes the way to comprehend and apply what is known. Then intuition becomes a mere tool in the hands of reason. Creativity becomes bounded within the frame work of the prescribed. But if we let the method evolve naturally a totally new possibility is awoken. This shift will immediately put us in to the realm of unknown thus paving way for creativity and spontaneity.
Some aspects of our life have to be reinvented, lived and experienced firsthand.
Beauty is one of them. To relate to the world, to make sense of it and engage with it also has to be first hand. Unfortunately the whole educational process as well as the instructed living takes away the directness and authenticity of living. The possibility of unfolding what is inherent is replaced with doctrines and methods.
Three key aspects that need re-examining are what, how and why of knowledge. Here knowledge needs to be understood as the totality of living itself. 'What' constitutes cognition, 'how' is about beauty because the way to do has to be in harmony and 'why' is about value. But all this needs to seen in the context of existence and not from anthropocentric being-ness.
As methods and theories precede the process of knowing a cognitive reversal happens and reasoning becomes the way to comprehend and apply what is known. Then intuition becomes a mere tool in the hands of reason. Creativity becomes bounded within the frame work of the prescribed. But if we let the method evolve naturally a totally new possibility is awoken. This shift will immediately put us in to the realm of unknown thus paving way for creativity and spontaneity.
Some aspects of our life have to be reinvented, lived and experienced firsthand.
Beauty is one of them. To relate to the world, to make sense of it and engage with it also has to be first hand. Unfortunately the whole educational process as well as the instructed living takes away the directness and authenticity of living. The possibility of unfolding what is inherent is replaced with doctrines and methods.
Three key aspects that need re-examining are what, how and why of knowledge. Here knowledge needs to be understood as the totality of living itself. 'What' constitutes cognition, 'how' is about beauty because the way to do has to be in harmony and 'why' is about value. But all this needs to seen in the context of existence and not from anthropocentric being-ness.
learning?Design Process is in reality recovering our ability to LEARN
As we are accustomed to dealing with ready made, second hand knowledge a cognitive rewiring takes place and reason is established as the tool for cognition. No wonder there is no creativity in modern schooling. Talk about creativity is pointless as the creator has been removed from the cognitive act. But mental tricks are misunderstood as creativity. This is where the De Bonos thrive- lateral thinking and all that stuff. |
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Product design to Process design
exploring/ proposing a method for working with communities with traditional craft skills
I would like to draw your attention to a process of working with artisan where in the artisan is initiated to take charge of the creative process. This approach ensures that the artisan continue to be the holders of traditional knowledge and creativity instead of turning to be come mere laborer.
This opens up a new approach to design where the focus is on designing process to achieve the final product. In all my design projects with artisans I have successfully adopted this process. I have used this approach in my work with children also. I am sure many designers must be using this approach.
I would like to propose this as something to be introduced formally at design schools where usually ‘product design’ is the focus even while working with communities. NIDs International centre for crafts could take some initiative in promoting this.
I have done this not only with traditional artisan communities but also in cases where women had been trained to repeat mindlessly the design developed by ‘experts’.
Now with institutions like NID, IICD and also NIFT getting involved with artisans it is very important that such an approach is thought of.
The advantage of such an approach is that very often very original and culturally rooted products come up. This in one way reduces the homogenizing impact of the ‘trained’ designer. The number of products that come out of such an approach is also quite large. In DCH projects where one is supposed to develop 20 designs in 20 days working with 20 artisan I used to come up with 60 to 100 products just by allowing the artisans to create. But I have not shared my fees with them!
Learning ‘process design’ also allows the designer to see social process in action and also enables them to take part in the indigenous knowledge in wider manner. It is a tragedy that this area has not been addressed properly by design schools.
The artisan is definitely benefited by this process as their own creativity and initiative is put to use and this will enable them to take the craft forward in a holistic manner.
It makes us, the designers sensitive to several other issues. Appreciating and respecting creativity in other people makes us less egoistic and democratic. This will also help to open up and help us in addressing our own inadequacies as a ‘trained’ professional. This will also help us to be less ‘controlling’ of things and allow life to happen on its own.
Many times I have seen that the products I really like are seldom liked by the customers and the ones I have disliked profusely are liked by customers. I was able to see this only because I learned to ‘allow’ my artisans to exhibit what they made and what they liked.
I learned this the hard way.
In one of kumbham’s first exhibitions in spite of not ‘allowing’ one artisan to exhibit some of his creations, he kept on selling all the products he had made. I genuinely thought that they are very ugly products and nobody would buy. But to my surprise all of them were sold. This was an eye opener.
Off course this will require one fundamental shift – which is from designer as the centre of the universe.
exploring/ proposing a method for working with communities with traditional craft skills
I would like to draw your attention to a process of working with artisan where in the artisan is initiated to take charge of the creative process. This approach ensures that the artisan continue to be the holders of traditional knowledge and creativity instead of turning to be come mere laborer.
This opens up a new approach to design where the focus is on designing process to achieve the final product. In all my design projects with artisans I have successfully adopted this process. I have used this approach in my work with children also. I am sure many designers must be using this approach.
I would like to propose this as something to be introduced formally at design schools where usually ‘product design’ is the focus even while working with communities. NIDs International centre for crafts could take some initiative in promoting this.
I have done this not only with traditional artisan communities but also in cases where women had been trained to repeat mindlessly the design developed by ‘experts’.
Now with institutions like NID, IICD and also NIFT getting involved with artisans it is very important that such an approach is thought of.
The advantage of such an approach is that very often very original and culturally rooted products come up. This in one way reduces the homogenizing impact of the ‘trained’ designer. The number of products that come out of such an approach is also quite large. In DCH projects where one is supposed to develop 20 designs in 20 days working with 20 artisan I used to come up with 60 to 100 products just by allowing the artisans to create. But I have not shared my fees with them!
Learning ‘process design’ also allows the designer to see social process in action and also enables them to take part in the indigenous knowledge in wider manner. It is a tragedy that this area has not been addressed properly by design schools.
The artisan is definitely benefited by this process as their own creativity and initiative is put to use and this will enable them to take the craft forward in a holistic manner.
It makes us, the designers sensitive to several other issues. Appreciating and respecting creativity in other people makes us less egoistic and democratic. This will also help to open up and help us in addressing our own inadequacies as a ‘trained’ professional. This will also help us to be less ‘controlling’ of things and allow life to happen on its own.
Many times I have seen that the products I really like are seldom liked by the customers and the ones I have disliked profusely are liked by customers. I was able to see this only because I learned to ‘allow’ my artisans to exhibit what they made and what they liked.
I learned this the hard way.
In one of kumbham’s first exhibitions in spite of not ‘allowing’ one artisan to exhibit some of his creations, he kept on selling all the products he had made. I genuinely thought that they are very ugly products and nobody would buy. But to my surprise all of them were sold. This was an eye opener.
Off course this will require one fundamental shift – which is from designer as the centre of the universe.
