This is a representation of a systematic assembly of various design processes and of a conceptual structure of a reminiscence of the designer, built during the designer’s working process. It is a documentation of designer’s life-long procedure of establishing insights and experiences.

 The system will modify and reorganize resources that were documented during the designer’s working process in systematic fashion; Collected and systematized resources will be visually presented to designers as a designed artifact. The system does not merely refer to documentation itself, but a representation of a procedure of observation and reflection on one’s ongoing and completed design process and past practices. 

As the designer interacts with this system, he/she will observe and examine the collected data, than analysis them. During this stage, the designer will become conscious of his/her own design approach of the past. In the reflection and evaluation stage, the designer will contemplate and appreciate the shown product of the documentation. After the incubation of thoughts, the designer will explore their workflows to discover and define patterns out of them and recycle their own thoughts.

 Through this self-reflective and self-learning process, the designer will be inspired by documentation of his/her own work path. The designer will make a decision whether he/she should preserve the previous conception and the way of treatment on his/her project, or leave them behind and take other directions before they take a next step for their desired goals; the previous perception of the designer will be reinforced or reconstructed at this stages. The designer will deal with problems and constraints by choosing right direction.

 This repetitive process, will affect not only the outcome of the specific design but also the entire thinking method and working process.Through the system, designer will monitor a collected chain of working processes at a glance. The processes are dependent; they are influencing each other.

Like the present is built upon the past, knowledge is built upon pre-existing knowledge. Sharing knowledge of working processes, thinking methods and idea is a pivotal act for the construction of today’s design and its further development. This system can be a communication tool. After the designer decides to publish certain section of the documentation, it will transfer it to the public as a bridge between the outside world and the designer.

Some artists define their idea and beliefs by holding exhibitions, sharing their refined works and reflect on their own artistic path.  Like this, to designers, publishing and sharing selected documentation of work and outcomes will define the intention of the designer and his/her professional pursuit. 

OBSERVATION – DOCUMENTATION – ANALYSIS – REFLECTION-EVALUATION - ADAPTATION

 The designer’s practice is communicating designer’s intent to the outside world by presenting output that created by the designer.

The process of practice, illustrated in this diagram is rather one directional; it is performed throughout one’s life span of commitment in design practice. However, the whole process of practice is consisted with several sessions of ideas and making, which is red inner circle of this diagram; it represents the embodiment of designer’s idea through fabrication and development of format by utilizing affordance that is available to the designer.

 The grey circle, a system of observation – documentation – analysis – reflection – evaluation – adaptation, is an embodied and articulated abstraction of reflection of the overall practice. An intent of the designer is the core effector that shapes the modes of output and it’s process of making, thus the observation – documentation – analysis – reflection – evaluation – adaptation –system will be influenced by the context of the intent, yet the system is orbiting around the whole path of the designer’s practice and constantly influencing the intent and growing along with the designer’s practice.  

Here is a first rough attempt at a list of affordances. These don’t always get to the afforded activity – needs fleshing out and re-working. This is kind of brain-dump and so the list is not consistent in tone or approach.

Location/scale

• handheld and can be easily moved
  • portability
  • think with hands/ utilize various gestural behaviors. eg)post-notes
  • vary location
  • enable social interaction, collaboration
  • enables multiples for crit, comparison, juxtaposition in small field of view
• fixed in space, not easily moved
  • it’s a place to go to – exists in space (and in the head)
  • enables people to come together without planning
  • site specificity – relation to culture, objects, context
  • the place memorizes the trace of working process/ utilize(?) organized mass 
• various scales
  • hand scale, 4″ – intimate, fine use of hands
  • book scale, 8″ – good for writing and reading, narrow field of view enables single focus
  • arm’s length scale, 3′-4′ – enables simultaneity, broad gestures, fills field of view
  • human scale, 5′-8′ – evokes emotion, enables standing, full body sensation
  • car scale, 12′ – requires movement to see entire, 
  • building scale, 20′ – evokes shelter, social, modulates light
• defines and visualize a physical or imaginary location in space – enables spatial mental representation & manipulation
• sit/stand    
  • sit- crafting in detailed, micro-scale tasks / stand- brainstorming, analyzing, overviewing       
• can spread-out work  
  • flexibility in time and location, working at a customized environment

Sketching

• little prep
• rough work easy
• lots of ideas quickly
• low cost materials means little censoring
• tangible output to assist in metaphor, reflection, ??? 
• helps brainstorm, idea generation
• helps envisioning the outcome 
• helps exploring visual aspects of the idea / flexibility to manipulate vague, abstract ideas (carving out or adding on features) 

Refined, precise, detailed

• engages fingers, hands in gestures
• learning curve enables fine, controlled motor skills
• wide range of expression possible
• uniqueness characteristic of the designer 

Broad, large, expressive

• big gestures
• enables use of arms, other parts of body
• wide field of vision

Tools

• evocative, tool has character /  sentimental value 
  • specific, narrow-range, idiosyncratic, rich, evocative
  • general, adjustable, wide-range
• learning curve
  • learning curve minimal, fast to use
  • learning curve maximal, lots of nuance to expression
  • both are possible in some, but not always
• tools for making tools – custom for the designer’s practice, or specific project
• tools for making processes - custom for the designer’s practice, or specific project

Reflection

• juxtaposition – see ideas in comparison to each other
• isolation – of person, or of content
  • focus, eliminates context, losing yourself in it, flow
• viewable outside the mind – tangible, in the world, sensible
• evokes ideas in the mind
• editable

Collaboration

• social interaction
  • group can see the same thing, shared experience
  • each can communicate with others
  • each can manipulate thing
  • “eye-contact”
• pin-up
• synchronous and asynchronous discussion
• divide into parts for individual work
• scale of collaboration requires some different approaches
• helps focusing on your expertise 
• helps experiencing wide range of genre of work. 
  

Idea generation

• visualization of ideas
• externalize & organize
• think by writing
• think by sketching
• think by making
• serendipity
• inspiration
• define principles/constraints
• enables complete absorption/flow
• disrupt flow/absorption

Learning/design process

• test ideas
• experiment with multiple approaches
• learn medium in context of project
• learn materials in context of project
• organize
• make a mess  (trial and error)
• reorganize/refactor
• sequence
• breakdown into tasks

Manipulating Psychological State

• ability to change modes through the day
• concentration
• distraction
• entry into “flow”/absorption/focus
• contemplation
• daydreaming
• discharge nervous energy
• create nervous energy
• enable thinking/analysis by moving around (physically/mentally)

The diagram shown above maps the collaboration process among designers. It starts with the brainstorming stage where each designer or group exchanges thoughts and identify the best or most relevant plan for the given project.

When designers agree with the main approach for the project, they produce a tangible outcome, yet it is made versatile enough to be reformed or fabricated.

By presenting documentation of the initial collaboration, designers get to judge which aspect of the prototype they should keep, discard or improve; during this stage of the process, designers, once again, share each other’s opinions. This routine can be repeated over and over until they achieve the most preferred result.

After the previous stages, which are brainstorming, prototyping and readjusting, the process departs to next step of making and manufacturing; the outcome will be released to the public.

Although the completed outcome release to market, the process can return to the initial stage of brainstorming and the design is constantly analyzed in psychological, social or practical contexts and upgraded based on empirical evidences such as observations from documentations of the performance, user survey, designers’ own experience on operation of the outcome in real field, or even mere intuition of experienced designers.

We also have discussed about the system of designing process. It is begins with a designer’s hand and tools then assembled with contents and concluded as a format as a final outcome. Contents are divided into two groups. Some contents such as ink, code, sound, light, etc. are raw and unrefined resources. (I would rather use term resources rather than materials because designers utilize non-material resources such as information or light to shape their ideas). Texts, video or audio are pre-formed contents. The outcome of design process is format. The designer’s idea is finally embodied as format, which can be expressed through texture, shape, temporality, behavior and so on. Some designers even create contents for themselves; In this case the outcome will have more distinctive characteristics comparing to others.

Personally, the most interesting topic from the last discussion was about the meaning of creative process. I think most designers not only design their outcome but also design their own creative process by facing their work. I’m definitely not a very creative person, but I often get inspired by my brainstorming sketches and storyboards that I created during my creative process; they suggest alternatives and even answers. The history of creative process of an artist is critical based on whether the outcome turns out good or bad. Most of all creative works are produced through at least several months of enduring period of trial and error. During that period, each designer cumulates his or her own experience of history of making process; it contains precious information of histories built through the beginning to the end of their creative process. For example, when we see a photo of Ray Eams work desk, we clearly notice that there is some kind of “organized mass” is developed in that photo. It might looks disorganized at a first glance, however those numerous piles of files, photos and magazine clippings are systematically organized by the designer who is sitting in front of that desk, brain storming and crafting for several hours almost everyday. This systemized chaos contains and remembers a history of the designer’s creative process because they were built and developed by the designer from the beginning when she started to work at that particular desk and it is naturally organized according to her working habits and routines through several years. Yet, later on it is providing collected information to the designer whenever she need. The interaction between artists and the revaluation of their creative process keeps nourishing the overall process of making, because those records of history can be utilized for the future projects as a guideline or inspiration.