Abstract Paper Making Sense and Meaning¶
Design: What is it good for?¶
Design could be perceived and eventually understand as an action performed by humans through the movements of their body parts ignited by a cognitive or creative process with the end of transforming or interacting with their context.
From an academic perspective, design could be represented by a creative process that shapes the historical materialism in an industrialized culture; but as well design could be a performative activity that could allow any person in any culture to express themselves through interaction with others, human or not human, including his or her context.
There are many interpretations, from Western or Eastern civilizations, global north or south; the definition that I am used to, from college is the one from Fernando Martin Juéz that states that design is inherent in any human begin and a reflection of its “capabilities”. But as well design is used to define the action of designing an algorithm or a public policy.
Design in the contemporary is an activity that is empowered by a variety of processes from the far technological to the far artistic specter, understanding that they are not mutually exclusive; is in that specter where design as practice nurture itself to have a bigger, broader, and deeper impact. Design is present in a process of shaping a stick with a rock for making a tool as well as designing a bridge in parametric software and 3D printing it with a machine.
Design is a reflection of the personal context¶
The way that design is being used to shape the world, like many other activities, is a result of a personal vision, of an understanding of our context, the place that one has in the world and as a part of a community; is in the way that we use our soft skills, our social network and privileges is how we can have more or less influence in the transformation of our immediate reality.
Understanding where we come from, what identifies us as a part of a community, shape our practice as designers, and is our labor to identify what we have to do, what it has to be done, and with whom to do it or not to do it.
It is a personal responsibility to confront our reality and understand our context and its needs, it is not mandatory to be an eco-designer o social-designer (or other buzz words-designer), but so far the social and environmental problems are well documented and even over-diagnosed, so now it is our duty to know that as a part of a community and to act to shape a world for everyone.