I'd argue that design is a distinct cultural practice—we can show it through the way in which it combines the various elements of culture, theory and practice. It contributes, not necessarily in a unique way but in an integrated way. It is this integration of a wide range of practices that grants it a special place—in theory, a designer should be able to turn themselves to almost any output and perform well. We return, then, to the idea of a designer as a generalised problem solver, similar to Aristotle, Da Vinci, et al.
Do you agree/disagree?
I agree, design is definitely influenced by culture and vice versa, I find it particularly interesting how design differs in distinct cultures other than out own and how it is evolving because of the new global culture. Design is changing because we now have the ability to communicate our solutions to a wider audience which is something we consider when solving the problem.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to yesterdays seminar I disagree with Krippendorf thinking that the fact we take information and inspiration from multiple sources is a problem, I think the fact that designers have access to a large body of knowledge means that we can be better informed when creating solutions. As Luke stated we magpie and if anything we are stronger because we do.