DESIGN TOGETHERNESS

Abstract

While science typically approaches complexity through analysis, that is, by unpacking a complex whole into distinct and more manageable parts, the challenge of design is typically to do the opposite; to resolve often contradictory issues and bring together a meaningful whole. We think that there are more to forms of doing design together than our current terminology allows us to articulate. In particular, we want to explore if there are forms of design doing that open up for a kind of bringing together that is qualitatively different from collaboration, in the same way as the meaningful whole design deals with is something qualitatively different than a combination of parts coming out of an analysis. To learn more about doing design together in design education, we have done a series of experiments with multi disciplinary teams. Analysing the results using Arendt’s distinction
between work and action, we suggest that there is a difference between collaborative design where people come together as what they are, and a kind of design togetherness where people come together as who they are. In conclusion, we argue that design education might need to revisit its artistic and methodological foundations with respect to participation.