Eero Kallio
Skilled Human – Designers' Skills
Introduction In dividing the world we live in into a natural one and one created by humans, we are inevitably facing the human connection between the natural world, which is operating by the laws of nature, and the artificial world, which is using these laws to satisfy human needs. This artificial world is created by human technology. Technology has a connection to the natural world, as it obeys natural laws. At the same time, it has a connection to the artificial world, as the creation of technology originates from human needs. This dual connection makes technology interesting. In this article, I discuss the ways in which human action connects the natural and artificial worlds within the realms of craftmanship and design. Human skill – designing – is a connector of these two worlds. Human skills are the interface over which we interact with these two worlds. In our everyday lives, we do not designate a difference between the natural and artificial worlds. Human skill constantly operates in the interface of nature, technology and culture. This article discusses craftmanship, the designing skill and its meaning for creating artefacts. What are the many roles of human skill as a connection between the realms of nature, human action and technology?
Designer’s Skill Having expertise and knowledge are common words used to describe someone who is highly skilled in performing certain difficult tasks. When acting intentionally to create something, we are experiencing this kind of skillfulness. When creating new things, artefacts, we are working between natural laws and human needs. This work combines knowledge of human needs to the knowledge of causal connections of the natural world. This article is about skill and its role as a connector between natural laws and human needs. It is about the design and creation of something new. In the end, we should be able have an insight of the aspect of skillfulness behind the design and the designer. 78
