We are here to create or design...?

Well-formed questions are of immense importance to human progress. The wealthy and successful often reach a point in life where it is important to begin to ask bigger questions than those that made them rich and powerful. Often the question is “how can I fix or help people?” Occasionally it is “how can I serve people?” Less often it is questions about the meaning of life and the purpose of human existence. An example of the latter is a recent article by a very successful Chinese nationalist, Kai-Fu Lee, educated at some of the best schools in the United States. He asks the question “why are we here?” His answer is that we are here to create. But the question remains vague. Create what?

Maybe the answer is we are here to design preferred futures?

Comments

Design, Wicked Problems & Throwness

Horst Rittel is one of the seminal residents in my 'Berkeley Bubble'. Recently a friend and colleague sent me an article about ‘double-wickedproblems’ . I have become ever more aware of the increasing number of references to ‘wicked problems’ in all forms of media that seem to have missed Rittel’s deeper insights . This brought up the concern I have about the use and miss-use of the term ‘wicked problem’. The term ‘wicked problem’, first introduced by Rittel in West Churchman’s seminars at Berkeley, was in reference to his conceptualization of the impossible challenge of dealing with significant social issues using traditional, rational, ‘problem solving’ methods. In most cases what are miss-diangnosed as ‘wicked problems’ are actually complex or complicated problems that can be simplified or broken into smaller 'tame' problems allowing for a straight forward 'problem solving' approach to be taken. This approach is believed by many to be capable

RSD9 keynote information

RSD9 keynote publicity https://rsd9.org/2020/08/31/harold-g-nelson/

Chinese edition of The Design Way

Interesting experience last week. Discovered by accident (Amazon advert) that there is a Chinese edition of The Design Way. It has been available for a few years and has sold several thousand copies. Who would have guessed? If by chance anyone has read this version of the book please let me know. I would like to hear what you think of the quality of the translation. The Spanish edition has been delayed by the virus but is still scheduled to be printed.

Accidental Vagrant

Search This Blog