Science as a subset of Art Prof.dr.ir. Taeke M. de Jong University of Technology Delft, the Netherlands, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Urbanism, Chair Technical ecology Possible Probable

Questions 1.What established methods and types of research has “Research by Design” taken up or “codified” as its own? 2.How does “Research by Design” relate to, or position itself, with respect to other established academic communities and traditions? 3.How could “Research by Design” be formalized/systematized in order to gain recognition as a scientific methodology within the creative disciplines?

Question 1: established methods What established methods and types of research has “Research by Design” taken up or “codified” as its own?

1 Established methods

The object of design study is variable by definition Social and physical context delimits that object But ‘context’ is everything How to handle context?

How to handle context

Question 2; Other academic traditions How does “Research by Design” relate to, or position itself, with respect to other established academic communities and traditions?

2. Other academic traditions Preface by our Rector Fokkema Within the range of a technical university the object of urban, architectural and technical design is amongst all others most sensitive to context. Context: political, cultural, economic, technical, ecological and spatial; at many levels of scale. So: case studies. Difficult to generalise!

Ways to Study and Research urban, architectural and technical design CONTENTS Introduction A.Naming and describing B.Design research and typology C.Evaluating D.Modelling E.Programming and optimising F.Technical Study G.Design Study H.Study by design Epilogue Study by design Empirical research

2. Other academic traditions Distinguished in verbal sentences by modal verbs such as ‘can’, ‘will’, ‘want to’.

2. Other academic traditions The task of Science The task of DesignThe task of Art

Classical empirical research 1.problem statement (problem isolation) 2.clear aim (aim isolation) 3.references 4.starting points 5.hypothesis 6.variables 7.data 8.method 9.content 10.publish

Design related study 1.can not isolate problems from a coherent field of problems 2.brings aims together in a field of aims, a concept 3.has many references, not only written text but especially images: forms, types, models, concepts, programmes 4.has many starting points 5.has designs as hypothesis assuming: “This will work” 6.has many context variables (“parameters”) 7.while the object still varies in your head 8.has many ways to study (needs a book with key words) 9.content grows drawing, calculating and writing 10.publishes with the medium as a message

Empirical research or Design related study Research produces probabilities by causes Design produces possibilities by conditions

Make probable by causes Make possible by conditions Not every condition is a cause, but every cause is a condition for something to happen

Unravelling condition and cause

Domains of future

Domains in design science

Question 3: recognition as a scientific methodology How could “Research by Design” be formalized/systematized in order to gain recognition as a scientific methodology within the creative disciplines?

3 Recognition as a scientific method A.Make the context of your case explicit B.Distinguish probable, possible and desirable futures C.Do not isolate problems and aims as always advised in empirical science. But extend them into a field of coherent problems and a field of coherent aims as the proper basis of a design conception.

How to handle context

3A Making the future context explicit protects your study against judgments with other suppositions about the future context raises the debate about the robustness of your study in different future contexts makes your study comparable to other studies in comparable contexts raises a ‘field of problems’ by subtracting desirable futures from the probable ones instead of an isolated ‘problem statement’

3B Probable, possible and desirable future contexts Three fields of desirable futures Probable, but not desirable; Desirable, but not probable Desirable futures changing by design

3C Do not isolate problems and aims as always advised in empirical science But extend them into a field of coherent problems and a field of coherent aims as the proper basis of a design conception.

3 Recognition as a scientific method A.Make the context of your case explicit B.Distinguish probable, possible and desirable futures C.Do not isolate problems and aims as always advised in empirical science. But extend them into a field of coherent problems and a field of coherent aims as the proper basis of a design conception.

Ideal contents of a study proposal 1.Object of study and its context 2.My study proposal 3.Accounts

1 Object of my study and its context 1.1. Object of my study: scale, frame and grain 1.2. Probable future context: field of problems 1.3. Desired impacts of my study: field of aims 1.4. My designerly references: field of means 1.5. My portfolio and perspective: field of abilities

2 My study proposal 2.1. Location and|or other future context factors 2.2. Motivation and|or programme of requirements 2.3. Intended results, contributions 2.4. Planning

3 Accounts 3.1. Meeting criteria for a study proposal 3.2. References 3.3. Key words

Criteria for a study proposal A.Affinity with designing B.University breadth C.Concept formation and transferability D.Retrievability and accumulating capacity E.Methodical accountability and depth F.Ability to be criticised and to criticise G.Convergence and limitations

1 Object of my study and its context 1.1. Object of my study: scale, frame and grain 1.2. Probable future context: field of problems 1.3. Desired impacts of my study: field of aims 1.4. My designerly references: field of means 1.5. My portfolio and perspective: field of abilities

How to limite, concentrate 1.give way to fascinations (motivated concentrations) 2.choose a scale (frame and grain) before an object 3.publish your portfolio evaluating it as field of abilities 4.decide to improve or to extend them in your proposal 5.publish images that fascinate you as a field of means 6.look at them as a professional: which concepts, types, models and programmes could you harvest? 7.make your assumptions about the future explicit 8.imagine the impacts your study could have 9.cash your dreams

Scale paradox On the level of one spot you should conclude ‘difference’ On the level of 7 spots you should conclude ‘equality’ Reversal of conclusions may appear by a factor 3 radius So, the order of size determines your view

Levels of scale to be aware of Different scales mean different legend units, categories, views, approaches, conclusions

Names and boundaries of size categories In this presentation ‘nominal values’ indicate an order of size They are ‘elastic’ 10m means something in between 3m and 30m

A frame 100x the grain of a drawing representing a building r/R determines the resolution of a drawing or discourse, the ‘resolution of the argument’

Limit your object of study by scale

Grain and impacts of your study

Explicit impacts within that context indicate actors and specialists to join the team or take into account imply a societal and personal relevance or fascination imply a field of aims imply actors willing to finance your study could produce a programme of requirements before you have a precise study proposal !

The object (O,o), its impacts inconvenient (I) or profitable (P) The programme of requirements is a set of desired impacts Locate them to locate the stakeholders Perhaps they are willing to pay the project!

Subtracting futures Field of problems = Probable - Desirable Field of Aims = Desirable - Probable

Desired impacts of your study

How to judge these impacts in a future context?

Layers of social and physical context Managerial/governmental contexts (active <> passive) Cultural contexts (innovative <> traditional) Economic contexts (growing <> declining) Technological contexts (separating <> connecting) Ecological contexts (differentiating <> equalizing) Spatial contexts (accumulating <> dispersing )

Changing context changes impacts

Let us try tomorrow

Starting by key words y(x) landscape( villa) villa( landscape) villa( landscape( water system))

Nested key words villa(landscape(water-system, history)) villa(landscape(water-system(history))) villa(landscape((water-system, occupation)(history, spatial dispersion))) )( means a matrix: historyspatial dispersion water-system12 occupation34 useful as a list of contents of your report: 1 water-system(history) 2 water-system(spatial dispersion) 3 occupation(history) 4 occupation(spatial dispersion)

Syntactic key words object y as a working (function, action, output, result, property) of subject x (independent variabele actor, input, condition, cause) y(x) object(subject) Suffering object(subject) impact(condition, cause) aim(means) The verb is replaced by brackets () Form follows function. ~ form(function) landscape(villa) villa(landscape) See also index of Ways to Study

Operations (functions) y= f(x) intuitive: f(x):= associated with x conditional: f(x):= possible by x set-theoretical: f(x):= part of x, encloses x, without x... logical: f(x):= if x, not x... mathematical: f(x):= x+x, x 2... causal f(x):= caused by x temporal: f(x):= preceded, followed by x spatial(formal): f(x):= near to, contiguous to, surrounded by x... structural: f(x):= connected with x, seperated from x... combinations: a box of boards connected by nails: box(boards, nails)

Valid, Reliable