Design & Critical Thinking

In this session, we discuss the relationship between AI, the potential for hyper-intelligence, and meaning through abstraction. We also discuss the notions of duality and how duality with context creates useful contrast that adds meaning and generates new perspectives, which can be used as a design tool. This links to the concept of "negative space" in Semiotics, and "Early Heaven" and "Later Heaven" from ancient Chinese Ba Gua. This brings the notion of "the third perspective" and the ability to subvert expectations through the breaking of patterns. **Sorry for the sound quality** --- LINKS Here's a simple yet interesting explanation of "the third perspective" through the analysis of the narrative of the movie AVATAR in contrast to Princess Mononoke → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsNrjTfIGIE Introduction to Bayesian Thinking by Julia Galef → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpdBOUnynps Bruno Latour's The Sociology of Science → http://www.bruno-latour.fr/taxonomy/term/39.html On narrative research → https://medium.com/rettigs-notes/notes-on-narrative-research-6eca7c226891 --- JOIN US Join our next session 👉 https://www.meetup.com/design-critical-thinking/ Join the community on Slack 👉 https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/join-slack/ About the community 👉 https://designcriticalthinking.com Thanks to Matt and Daiana for sharing your thoughts! --- Artwork generated using DALLE, Prompt: “strange attractor, gravity field, beautiful landscape, digital art”

We discuss how to frame problems to explore them and the critical need for diversity (of minds, perspectives, etc) in these early design activities. We discuss why we need to bring back imagination as many organizations (and practitioners) often jump from problem definition to solution. We then touch upon the concept of "useful frictions" in digital and virtual spaces. Finally, we talk about Assemblage Theory as a way to understand coupling effects in networks and the notions of territorialization & deterritorialization through a funny thought experiment: "what if we had to design a temporary cult". --- Join our next session 👉 https://www.meetup.com/design-critical-thinking/ Join the community on Slack 👉 https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/join-slack/ About the community 👉 https://designcriticalthinking.com Thanks to Tamika for sharing your thoughts! Artwork generated using DALLE, Prompt: “a group of explorers discover a new island world full of wonders, futuristic digital art”

We discuss the issue of the current north American education system and its repercussions on the global financing of education, with a focus on Europe. One of our community members, Matt, shares an approach/opportunity to tackle some of it through a dynamic financialization model. This led the group to an interesting, honest, and stimulating design critique form of discussion.   ---  The "virtual chalet" is a recurring informal event (once every 2 weeks) for the community to take the space & time to discuss, share ideas & experiences, find support, ask questions, etc. Join our next session 👉 https://www.meetup.com/design-critical-thinking/ Join the community on Slack 👉 https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/join-slack/ About the community 👉 https://designcriticalthinking.com Thanks to Matt for sharing his thoughts! Find more about Matt 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattji  Artwork generated with DALLE. Prompt: “Giant city tree, cyberpunk”

This was an unplanned and unmanaged informal discussion like we love to hold in the community. A discussion about foxes and tigers, about perceptions of the world, about philosophies of being and their underlying systems. We also discussed how "design" activities today are made for "transactional" and "value extraction" systems and how this limits their applicability (or can be detrimental) to social and political systems.  Join our next session 👉  https://www.meetup.com/design-critical-thinking/ Join the community on Slack 👉  https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/join-slack/ About the community 👉  https://designcriticalthinking.com/about/

This is our monthly Community workshop session during which we discuss where we want the community to head. We provided closure to the topic of design & philosophy and discussed what would be the next topic to open. As often, the conversation covered a lot of different grounds.   Join our next session 👉 https://www.meetup.com/design-critical-thinking/  Join the community on Slack 👉 https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/join-slack/  About the community 👉 https://designcriticalthinking.com/about/

3rd and final round of this series of discussions. Themes for exploration: How can we link back design practice and philosophy? What are the possible pain points of doing so? And what are the benefits of such a marriage? This session: We focus on two aspects, first the importance of coming to a form of pragmatism, which one might call "pragmatic design philosophy", and second the (equal) importance of connecting to a form of abstractive and poetic conceptualization, which one might call creativity. The goal of this session is to explore this useful tension that underly many aspects of the design practice.  - --  This event is the third of a series of discussions on design and philosophy, when it is relevant to link them together, how one strengthens the other (and vice-versa), what are their weaknesses, etc. Join our next session 👉 https://www.meetup.com/design-critical-thinking/  Join the community on Slack 👉 https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/join-slack/  About the community 👉 https://designcriticalthinking.com/about/

We discuss the different forms of power, how they influence decision, how they relate (or not) to design.We disucss how power can be reciprocal, and how it is best described in context. We also discuss the notion that platforms like Amazon & Youtube give a form of power to their users, but this power is asymmetrical because it is structurally lent, to the extent of what the platforms are willing to go.   ---   The "virtual chalet" is a recurring informal event (once every 2 weeks) for the community to take the space & time to discuss, share ideas & experiences, find support, ask questions, etc.   Join our next session 👉 https://www.meetup.com/design-critical-thinking/ Join the community on Slack 👉 https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/join-slack/ About the community 👉 https://designcriticalthinking.com/about/

How can we link back design practice and philosophy? What are the possible pain points of doing so? And what are the benefits of such a marriage? → The focus of this discussion will be on "decision-making" and "enacting the world" as designers, and the relationship between the context, the objects (physical, virtual, social) we design, and our actions. What are the philosophical & practical implications? --- This event is the second of a series of discussions on design and philosophy, when it is relevant to link them together, how one strengthens the other (and vice-versa), what are their weaknesses, etc. Join our next session 👉 https://www.meetup.com/design-critical-thinking/ Join the community on Slack 👉https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/join-slack/ About the community 👉https://designcriticalthinking.com/about/

Hey, we need to discuss. No seriously.  Design and philosophy seem to be two different things, right? One is about thinking, and the other about doing... or are they?  How can we link back design practice and philosophy? What are the possible pain points of doing so? And what are the benefits of such a marriage?   ---  This event is the first of a series of discussions on design and philosophy, when it is relevant to link them together, how one strengthens the other (and vice-versa), what are their weaknesses, etc.   Join our next session 👉  https://www.meetup.com/design-critical-thinking/   Join the community on Slack 👉  https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/join-slack/   About the community 👉  https://designcriticalthinking.com/about/

We discussed philosophy and how the process of exploring certain topics affects your understanding of them, which lead us to talk about the nature of rabbit holes, and that behind an apparent endless network of things there is a tacit structure that acts as an attractor.  We discuss the relationship between our identity and our social tissue and the social dissonance that creates social media. Then we move on to the subject of how many discussions (in design) remain on surface-level things (tools, methods, etc.), and why we need to dive into the underlying concepts & models. We make some comparisons between the fact that you can't understand what causes a trend to happen by studying the trend itself (you need to side-step), like copying a certain style does not provide you with knowledge of the contextual reason for this style to exist.  And many more things about decision-making, handling difficult discussions, knowing how and when to debate, and “steel manning” an opposite position.