Reflection Balanced & Integrated Reflection and Evaluation
13-03-2014 Manon Barendse s119828 - M1.2
“ Designing with ViP is like conducting scientific research; there is no way of knowing beforehand what the outcome will be ” - P. Hekkert, ViP
prof. Gilbert Cockton
This report is a reflection on action. A reflection on my design process and insights during the module ‘Balanced and Integrative Design reflection and Evaluation’ in which we have learned to put the BIG and W2C approaches/models into practice. As I see Reflection on action as moment of looking back (and forward) on a process, rather than the concept/outcome, I will focus on the ‘why’ behind the activities we have done and the decisions we have made were useful. All in relation to the BIG approach and de W2C framework. Though, as a student who has been taught how to design from out another model (RTDP), I will start critically reflect on their position and role within my design practice. THREE DIFFERENT DESIGN MODELS AND PRACTICES Within RTDP, the development of an own identity and vision are highly valued and therefore a ‘purpose’ within every design process. In a way this is similar to applied arts – in my humble opinion our educational model is centred on the designer, rather than on human beneficiaties, or the artifact itself. Though, the outcome (‘the envisioned designer’) is not an artist, but a designer who is an expert in integrating various approached to her design process (arts and crafts, engineering and social science) and who knows when to reflect on steps and when to trust her senses. Personally, I feel that RTDP and BIG/W2C are striving towards the same general goal: a designer who knows when to give room for her feeling and intuition to be able to take a step forwards (design confidence), but who can also simultaneously develop a sound argument, in order to justify and explain where every decision comes from and what its consequences are. For the last sentence I stole some words from Paul Hekkert (Delft University), who created Vision in Product Design. ViP is the label of a method (yep, they are talking about a methodology..) that first and foremost supports innovators of any kind to ‘design’ the vision – the raison d’etre – underlying their design. I stole these words because ViP reflects (and explains) very important aspects that are also part of RTDP and BIG: freedom, responsibility and authenticity. Where RTDP mostly provides a framework to develop myself as a designer, BIG/W2C gives me the support where to find design opportunities and the guidance on the development & use of local resources . At the same time, ViP helps me to articulate the appropriate questions at the right time. I feel quite comfortable of picking the parts I find useful and valuable out of all models/frameworks/ methods/approaches and combine them in a process that suits my personality and identity as designer. As Gilbert Cockton has explained in the module: design work should be conceived as primarly identifying options and strengthening and testing these until some can be choses. It is like the search for the perfect lasagna; using and combining ingredients from several recipes to eventually find my preferred mixture – and of course this does not say that everybody loves chicken, humus and mozzarella lasagna the most! For example - let’s walk out of the kitchen and into the design education domain again - I can imagine that I would like to use the worthmap activity in combination with the context structure of ViP in a competence driven personal framework.