Listserve host a discussion group called PhD Design. In that group the characteristics of PhD in Design are discussed: Should there be such a thing as a Phd Design? If there is, what should it involve? What is the balance between practice and theory in a PhD Design? Should designers simply design to advance themselves rather than working on a PhD? Etc.
There is a discussion thread ongoing at present called “Are PhDs a treat to Design education” Martin Salisbury (the outgoing External examiner for the MDes) made these comments:
https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A2=ind1110&L=PHD-DESIGN&F=&S=&P=54561
after a while and several posts from other contributors Dr Terence Love made these comments:
https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A2=ind1110&L=PHD-DESIGN&F=&S=&P=87554
https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A2=ind1110&L=PHD-DESIGN&F=&S=&P=86891
Terence’s comments promted Martin Salisbury to make this comment:
https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A2=ind1110&L=PHD-DESIGN&F=&S=&P=88150
Clearly there are two points of view:
“information based emphasis design”
vs
“creativity and intuition emphasis design”
The full discussion including more from Martin and Terence can be found here:
https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A1=ind1110&L=PHD-DESIGN
for me, I dont know who is right, but I do think its wonderful that it is being discssued with such vigour. I would refer back to my definition of design spider diagram. In it “design is creative” is marked as a thing that happens sometimes, where “design is rational” is marked as a characteristic. I suppose I might have made “design is rational” as a thing that happens sometimes on par with creativity. Alternatively I may have reversed the emphasis entirely. I think that Dr Love raises a very interesting point in so far as he suggests that the emphasis is changing due to the massive abundance of information. He may be entirely wrong where the abundance (overload) of information only heightens our desire for the intuitive and creative? This has to balanced with the nonsense that people talk as they get in contact and harmony with their creativity…ffs.
On what side are you?