Recently, I've been trying to re-program my brain back in to my thesis work. It has come time to seriously combine all of my readings, discussions and experiments in to one large, coherent mass. I've always had the feeling that my research in to the area of design methods and how designers actually think and work has been too light. I feel like I've taken for granted that how they are doing it is wrong and that I need to forge ahead with a new way. But then at the same time I've known that really isn't true and that might eventually come to weaken the overall argument of my work. I decided that I aught to re-investigate the area of design methods by starting back with Chris Jones, the father of the subject, so to speak.
I've been pursuing a quick review of 'Essays in Design' to get me thinking. On page 47 we find a very interesting quote (in Jones' unique style):
"sometimes I have a dream...
its so annoying that most of the people you meet
they don't know about any of the new things
so you can't talk about them with them
It's irritating if you're keen on new things.
But then I go to a place where there are
where there are people who ONLY think of new things
and there's something missing
the ordinary life life isn't there
what they call the real world's gone.
And then I walk down the street
I see all sorts of people who've never heard of any ideas
and its much much more stimulating to me
in a way
because that is the real thing happening
you know
So if we go to the ordinary life
which we all live
even avant guardists are ordinary people
we look at our own ordinary life
that's the true inspiration
I think
and that's always there."
This is one of the problems I face with the practical application of my research. I feel as though the University provides a 'new idea' friendly environment for me, but lacks a type of stimulating legitimacy that is found in practise.
Just something to think about for now - until I get figure out how to reconcile this caveat.
