New Thinking in Design: Conversations on Theory and Practice (Architecture)

Front Cover: (Main image--flower) Walter. A vase from the Still Life series designed for Parenthesis Ltd., London, 1984. Design by Daniel Weil Photograph by Richard Waite Courtesy of Pentagram Ltd. Smaller images from left to right Phonebook. Design by Lisa Krohn Courtesy of Michael McCoy Cassina Showroom, dome illuminated by gray light. Design by Clino Trini Castelli Courtesy of Castelli Design Milano Page from Dalko's Lighting catalog. Coordinated by Design Analysis International (DAI) Courtesy of John Thackara Lycee d'Enselgnement Professionel Industriel, Belfort, France. Exterior of the school. Design by Lucien Kroll Courtesy of Lucien Kroll Back Cover: 100 Objects: mirrors of silenced time. A clock with LED display designed for Parenthesis Limited. London, 1983. (Detail of clock's circuit board). Design by Daniel Weil Photograph by Richard Davis Courtesy of Pentagram Ltd.

New Thinking in Design Conversations on Theory and Practice C. Thomas Mitchell "It’s excellent—a very interesting, well-illustrated set of interviews with some of the most interesting design thinkers around." —William J. Mitchell, Dean, School of Architecture, MIT Gathered here, for the first time, are in-depth conversations with thirteen design theorists of international renown who have forged new ground in user-responsive designs. These thought-provoking conversations illuminate not just the theory of user-responsiveness, but how it is realized within the context of practice across a truly diverse spectrum of disciplines:

• John Seely Brown, technologist
• Clino Trini Castelli, color consultant and theorist
• Francis Duffy, architect and design researcher
• John Chris Jones, design theorist and author
• Larry Keeley, strategic design planner
• Lucien Kroll, architect and planner
• Michael McCoy, product designer and educator
• Donald A. Norman, cognitive engineer
• Kiyoshi Sakashita, design manager
• Edwin Schlossberg, learning environment designer
• Peter Schwartz, futurist
• John Thackara, cultural engineer
• Daniel Well, product designer and educator

The ideas raised by these innovative thinkers represent a dramatic shift in the way design is conceived and practiced. As Donald Norman notes here, "...design never ends. Even the most successful design will continually have to evolve to respond to changes in practice." This recognition of the dynamic nature of design in use underpins the work of all of those featured in this book, whether their focus is objects, furniture, architecture and planning, exhibitions and learning environments, high-technology design, or the fundamental rethinking of the nature of entire industries. The author, an accomplished scholar and design educator, has identified seven criteria for user-responsive design and adds even greater dimension to the interviews by presenting them within this framework:

• infusing Meaning
• Increasing Scope
• Involving Users
• Enhancing Perception
• Considering Context
• Thinking Strategically
• Re-viewing Design.

In addition to illustrating each of these concepts through the work of one or more contributors, the author presents here 125 original images of the contributors’ work, many never before published. No other book on the market shares the authoritative sources, original illustrations, and transdisciplinary approach of New. Thinking in Design: Conversations on Theory and Practice. Design professionals, theorists, educators, and students alike will benefit from the hands-on insights of these gifted luminaries as they provide a glimpse of design in the next millennium.