Category Archives: Perspective

Emerging from the chrysalis

By | March 17, 2023

Time distorted its perception during these pandemic years, and it is with a start I realize that two full years of my life have vanished since March of 2021 when I began rediscovering the music of my keyboard. Today marks the 2nd anniversary of a journey of transformation that began the magic of the Kalevala.… Read More »

Going back to first principles to take a closer look at the design process

By | January 17, 2023

Fundamentally, regardless of the various terms and jargon used to customize and capture the design process as one unique to one’s own industrial design studio, the design process is at heart a balancing process of equilibrium that is viable, desirable, and feasible between the opposing forces of all the stakeholder interests involved. What tends to… Read More »

Form follows knowledge-weaving follows function follows knowledge-weaving ad nauseum

By | January 14, 2023

When thinking about the design process, people forget that the map is not the territory and assume that new product development pathways always follow the linear process represented by textbook diagrams. Instead, its a complicated and iterative process to arrive at the clarity necessary to write a good design brief for the form-givers of the… Read More »

On common sense or practical wisdom

By | December 1, 2022

Even the ancient poems of the Kalevala emphasise the role of common sense, practical knowledge, skills and understanding, instead of metaphysics or religion. (Väisänen, 2012) There is romance in the practical wisdom of the countryside, if one listens for it inbetween the practical advice given to young men and women that comprises long stanzas in… Read More »

There are design goals for which the design process outlines itself

By | November 25, 2022

Constructive design research necessitates building a working prototype of the concept under evaluation. Without existing in the real world and interacting with the human socio-ecological system, we cannot figure out if our paper concepts will work as designed in the real world. Social design prototypes need a very high degree of enthusiastic cooperation from the… Read More »

Contemplating the conundrum of designing for cognitive justice

By | November 23, 2022

“Cognitive Justice: the right of different knowledges to coexist so long as they sustain the life, livelihoods, and life chances of a people.” Shiv Visvanathan, 2021 Unpacking this theoretical statement and putting it into practice in the form of design of interactive, collaborative, and social processes that comprise various participatory methodologies in design and innovation,… Read More »