Abstract
The technical rationality (TR) and reflective practice (RP) paradigms have heavily influenced thinking about design and design cognition in the 20th century. This paper concisely highlights some of the features and limitations of these paradigms. In particular, it develops the suggestion that we require a new “root metaphor” or leading set of concepts to develop our thinking about designing beyond the work of Donald Schön. Building on this assumption, this paper examines some useful aspects of selected concepts developed by Gilbert Simondon, in particular the notion of ontogenesis. Furthermore, it is argued that Simondon’s thought helps us to connect epistemology to the fluidity of lived experience. The suggestion is made that a so-called ontogenetic approach is better suited to deal with the inevitable fluidity and developmental character of experience itself, and that this could be new approach for thinking about design processes.
Keywords
reflection, design cognition, ontogenesis, epistemology
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2022.280
Citation
Paans, O. (2022) Ontogenesis as a model for design processes, in Lockton, D., Lenzi, S., Hekkert, P., Oak, A., Sádaba, J., Lloyd, P. (eds.), DRS2022: Bilbao, 25 June - 3 July, Bilbao, Spain. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2022.280
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Research Paper
Included in
Ontogenesis as a model for design processes
The technical rationality (TR) and reflective practice (RP) paradigms have heavily influenced thinking about design and design cognition in the 20th century. This paper concisely highlights some of the features and limitations of these paradigms. In particular, it develops the suggestion that we require a new “root metaphor” or leading set of concepts to develop our thinking about designing beyond the work of Donald Schön. Building on this assumption, this paper examines some useful aspects of selected concepts developed by Gilbert Simondon, in particular the notion of ontogenesis. Furthermore, it is argued that Simondon’s thought helps us to connect epistemology to the fluidity of lived experience. The suggestion is made that a so-called ontogenetic approach is better suited to deal with the inevitable fluidity and developmental character of experience itself, and that this could be new approach for thinking about design processes.