[Sigia-l] Design and Religion

[David Karemaker]

I feel this discussion is helped by the theoretical perspective of
Hirschheim and Klein in their article "Four paradigms of Information System
Development" who divided IS development methods/methodologies in:

-functionalist approaches (world-as-a-system view, traditional approach)
-social relativist (IA is a facilitator for the process of negotiation
between different worldviews)
-radical structuralism (IA is teaming with 'the workers' in their struggle
with management, some Scandinavian efforts to formalize this approach)
-Neohumanism (the nirvana of everybody having equal influence not hindered
by politics, time-constraints, social problems etc.)

I used the Soft Systems Methodology of Peter Checkland in requirements
elicitation. It explicitly uses a social relativist approach. It helped in
getting everybody to consider the problem, different worldviews and ultimate
goal of the new system. It did not help in ensuring equal participation or
nullifying the politics although I hoped, and assumed it would...

David Karemaker.


-----Original Message-----
From: Groot, Boyd de [mailto:boyd.de.groot at satama.com] 
Sent: woensdag 4 oktober 2006 9:20
To: Ziya Oz; SIGIA-L
Subject: Re: [Sigia-l] Design and Religion


>I am interested in how "other" concerns/ethics/religion/priorities/etc
>impact "professional" aspects of design? Does religion? How about
feminism?
>Or even politics?

Politics for sure. The Bauhaus movement was very much in line with the
socialistic revolutions of their day.
Designers were to work closely together with industry workers and "lift"
the masses.

"Other" ethics have clearly inspired Speer and Riefenstahl...

A recent example would be the Design for Sustainability movement, I
guess.

Nice quoute by Stephano Marzano from Philips Design:
"Design is a political act. Every time we design a product we are making
a statement about the direction the world will move in. We therefore
have to continually ask ourselves: is the product we are designing
relevant?"


>At a recent dinner, someone in the publishing business asked me if I'd
want to write a book that's partially based on this notion. 
>Just thinkin' aloud.

Are you sure this person was not mildly gibing you? :-)
We all here know how zealotious you can be about design. Perhaps after
going through 3-5 courses of "conversation" with you,
he/she wanted to give you a subtle hint...? Perhaps your ego got in the
way of a right interpretation?...
Just thinking loud :-)

--Boyd