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Transcript of The Universal Traveler _1
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The
pdated
lassic
Editi
by on Jim Bagnall
: .
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Libra ry
of
Congress Cataloging -
in
- Publ ica t ion Dat a
Koberg ,
Don,
1930 -
The
universa l
t r ave le r : a so f t - systems guide
to
c rea t i v i t y , problem - so lv ing , and t he process of reach
ing
goals by Don Koberg and Jim Bagnal l . - - 4th ed.
p . em.
Includes bib l iograph ica l re fe rences and index .
ISBN 1-
56052-679-3
pbk .
1.
Problem
so lv ing . 2 .
Crea t ive ab i l i ty .
3 . Go a l
Psychology)
I . Bagnal l ,
Jim.
I I .
Ti t l e .
BF44l.K55
2003
158.1--dc21
2003007910
0
Copyright
© 1972
2 0 0 3
x
zo P 19 7 3 19 74 19 7 6
publ i ca t ;onress
All
r igh t s ; e s e
19801
1981 1990
_ may be rved
o
wri t t en
perm·
. reproduced n
·
par t o f t h i s
o f
the
any form without
publ i sher .
Previous ed
i
t
pr in t ings
through 2003
1
3.
14
15 16 number a t
l e
as t
16
i n the 10 9 8 7
Uni t e d Sta
t e s
o f
meric
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o Vc
The UNIVERSAL TR VELER i s more
t han
a guide to c rea t ive problem so lv ing and
c l e a r th ink ing ;
t i s your
passpor t to
success . The process descr ibed
i s
univer sa l ly r e l evan t ; based on the premise tha t any problem dream o r as-
pi ra t ion , no matte r
i t s s ize
or degree of
complexi ty
can
benef i t from the
same log ica l
and
order ly ' sys t emat i c '
process
employed
to
solve
world- l eve
l
problems Only the wording and methods
vary
and
t hen
in
appearance a lone .
Systemat ic
process , der ived
from the
s tudy
o f
human
cont rol systems known
as Cybernet ics , forms the bas i s
fo r
modeling most
soc ia l ,
i n d u s t r i a l , and
economic problem s i tua t ions To provide an
everyday
appl i ca t ion of method
lead ing to a more order ly
l i f e
process , we have t r a n s l a t e d the techn ica l
terminology of sys temat ic problem-solving
in to
conversa t iona l language and
s impl i f i ed t echniques . The re su l t ing ' u s e r - f r i e n d l y ' approach
to problem-
so l ving
i s ca l l ed
SOFT SYSTEMS Once lea rned and
in te rna l i zed
with prac-
t i ce ,
the Universal Tra ve le r
sof t
sys temat ic
approach
wil l al low anyone
to dea l more l og ica l ly and o r d e r l y with a l l manner of problem s i tua t ions or
goa ls .
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IN
rll{ODUCTION
t
8
R
TIVITY
Life i s a cont inua l
sequence of
encounters .
Some
are
unavoidable;
to
be enjoyed
suf -
fe red by choice . Others can be cont ro l l ed
consc ious ly . Crea t ive
problem-solving i s a
process of
dea l ing i n t e l l i g en t ly
with those
s i t u a t i o n s
tha t
can be cont ro l l ed .
A
cre -
a t ive ptcb lem-so lver i s
a
de s igne L ;
a
per
-
son in tending
to
improve what e x i s t s o r
to
f ind c lea r
paths through
dilemmas
o r c ha l -
l enging
s i tua t ions
and
a t s a t i s fy i n g
so lu t ions
.
In geneta l ,
in o rder
to improve
something
and
do it
c rea t ive ly
it
i s
necessary ,
f i r s t ,
to i d e n t i fy
what it
i s tha t ac tua l ly
needs
improving ;
second,
to unders tand the
i n t e r a c t i v e
f ac to r s
involved;
and
Lhi ld,
to
develop the
s k i l l s
and t oo l s
(meth-
ods) to
manage the ta sk
.
Crea t ive Behavior d i f f e r s from normal behav-
i o r which i s e i t h e r pr imar i ly ob jec t ive o r
p1imar1ly
sub jec t ive .
Crea t iv i ty
r equ i r es
a
wil l ingness to
jo in
s u b j e c t i v i t y wi th objec
-
t i v i t y . I t
involves
lea rn ing
to
th ink
and
behave
"wholly" ins tead
of
one
way o r an
other ; to
a l t e rna te
between what you sense
or
fee l ,
what you a l ready know o r th ink you
know, and
what
you
might discover
by
t ry ing
something new. The pr imar i ly OBJECTIVE
pe r
-
son, fo r example,
knows every th ing
by name.
Once
named, no fu r the r examinat ion of con-
cent
i s
requ ired thereby e l imina t ing the
p o t e n t i a l
fo r deeper
unders tanding and
i ono-
vat ion .
The
pr imar i ly SUBJECTIVE
person ,
being
a
here-and-now sense- response mecha-
nism,
cont inua l ly de l igh t s
in
sensory expe -
r ience and
cares littl fo r
names
o r other
f ixed conc lus ions .
TO COMBINE
THE
TWO thus crea t ing
a
more
na tura l balance between the
extremes o f
sensing
and
mewing, IS
TO GAIN MORE
THJI.J J
BOTH.
The combinat ion
al lows you to dea l
cmpl e t e ly
wi th
any encounte r .
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Creacive wholeness
l eads beyond the here and
now of
sensory
response and remembered
e:·:pe-
r ience
and knowledge. I t
opens the
ga te
co a
deeper understanding of the na tura l
balance
between
divergent and convergent
chinking
and
the
freedom to c on t ro l your behavior .
Allowing
yours e l f to a l t e rna te
between
th ink ing and f ee l ing may be d i f f i c u l t a t
f i r s t .
Adu
lts
l i v e
i n soc i a l
v i r t u a l
worlds
of words and symbols. t
i s only
human
to
become more
objec t ive
and
l e s s
s ub je c t ive
with age . Knowing the names of th ings saves
you l o t s of t ime and
s topping
to
smel l the
roses o r enjoy r e a l i t y
i s
considered a waste
of t ime . I t may re qu i re f requent p r a c t i c e
to
overcome
the
habi t s re la ted
to
' normal '
be-
havior .
t i s fa r more 'norma l ' to
think
a l l day long
and
save fee l ing for a fc e r
work o r
the weekend.
Because
of
being
unique ,
balanced behavior
i s
of te n viewed as
ca re le s s
o r
maladjus ted
and even a t t imes
subversive to the
i n s t i t u t i o n s tha t
normalcy
c r e a t e s to pe rpe tua te
normalcy.
Since
con-
formi ty
i s the s h o r t e s t rou te to accepcance
in a mass soc ie ty , behaving
uniquely
i s a
sure
way
to
be come an ou tc a s t . But accept -
ab l e
unique
beha
vior i s pos s ib le fo r anyone,
who by i n t en t ion i s adventurous ,
pr ide - le s s ,
s e l f d i s c i p l i n e d and s e l f be l iev ing , who has
i n t e r e s t in reso lv ing problematic condi
t i ons , and who c on t inua l ly develops an a b i l -
i t y
to be
"whole. Wh
en
l ea rned , the new
behavior
wil l
seem every
b i t
as
na tura l
as
the o ld .
In b r i e f , CREATIVITY doesn ' t come f ree . I t
i s not a
g i f t
o r qui rk of b i r t h . Some people
d o n ' t jus t have i t while
other s
do
not .
Nor
does
it come from luck o r magic.
Cre-
a t i v i t y
i s lea rnab le
behavior
requ ir ing
s teady and determined
ef fo
r t . I f you accept
the f ac t t ha t the goal o f c r e a t i v i t y i s in
novat ion, you should
r e a l i z e
t ha t
c rea t ing
something
new
i s
NOT NORM L but DIFFEPENT
from
normal,
perhaps even ' abnormal . '
CAUTION I f you
be l ieve
you
are behaving
c r e a t
ive ly and your
behavior i s
r ead i ly
ac-
ce
p ted
in nor
mal
soc ie ty , one of two condi-
t i ons
i s probable :
e i the r you have condi-
t ioned
soc i e ty
to accep t your
abnormal
ac
t i ons or
your input i s
r e a l l y not
as unique
as
it
seems .
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omekeys toCreative
ehavior
rac t iced
c rea t ive behavior breeds
automat ic
c rea t ive
behavior .
Said
another
way
cre -
a t i v i t y and
consc iousness
of
procedures
process ) and methods
go
hand in hand .
I f
you become more aware of your
pos i t ion
re l a -
t i v e to what has gone before and what
i s
ye t
to
come your
a b i l i t y to
decide from
both
the broad view and the
spec i f i c
view
i s
inc reased
al lowing you
to become more accu-
r a t e
in
your pred ic t ions
and choices
throughout
eve ty j ourney
.
Proven sugges t ions fo r developing conscious-
ness o f
c rea t ive
procedure and
methodology
are :
1. FREEDOM
FROM PRIDE SELF-DISCIPLINE)
2. BELIEF IN SE LF AND THE ABILITY TO SUCCEED
3.
CONSTRUCTIVE
DISCONTENT
4.
l·iHOLEIHSS
5. ABILITY
TO
COIHROL
HABIT
FREEDM
ROM
PRIDE SELF-DISCIPL INE
Pr ide
othe t than as respec t fo r q u a l i t y o r
achievement
i s
des t ruc t ive counte r - c rea t ive
behavior and
de t rac t s
from the a t ta inment o f
goa ls . I t i s d i f f i c u l t to see c l e a r l y with
your nose in the a i r . PRIDE s tands in the
way
of
c re a c i v i t y
by
i n h i b i t i n g you
from
ask ing key ques t ions t hus
s t i f l i n g
the
key
requ i s i t e fo r cur ios i ty . I t r e s t r i c t s a
change
of mind 0 1
di rec t ion which
thereby
f ixes
a preconce ived
and
pre jud ic i a l course .
P.nd
t
runs
counte r
to
the
t r u e s e l f l e s s n e s s
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requ ired fo r the ngiving of onese l f
to the
task Pr ide
jo ins che
other deadly s ins" to
d e t r a c t from improvement . SELF-DISCIPLINE,
i . e . , nbeing t rue co your se l f , on the
other hand, i s a t r u t h - r e v e a l i ng behavior .
t r equi res courage
of
conv i c t i o n and f ea r -
l e s s acceptance
of
the
respon
s i b ility
fo r
being wha t you
are
, and t a k i n g s teps
to
in -
s ur e improvemen t . Modi f y i ng beha v io r t o mee t
s
pe
c i
f i c s i tua
t ions
need
not
l
imi t
freedom
o r
work
aga ins t the needs
of o the rs
in -
volved .
ELIEF
IN S
ELF
AND THE A L ITY TO
SUCC
EED
Be
s e l f -mo t iva te d Be l i e f
in
your
a b i l i t y to
succeed i s
necessary fo r
both motivat ion and
the maintenance of
c rea t ive
i n e r t i a .
I f you
wait
fo r
someone
e l se
to move you , you
might
f ind
yourse l f
headed in a wrong
di rec t ion
.
Ego-s t rength
and
l e a de rs h ip
are c lose ly
re -
l a t e d . Leaders wi th low s e l f -b e l i e f
are
ra re . The norm i s
to
subdue
ego
and become a
fo l lower ;
to
play the soc i a l game of s e l f -
denia l and
make
l e s s
of your ab i l i c i e s and
p o t e n t i a l s . Hiding your ego from re -
s u l t s in denying it to
yourse l f
.
The
deeper
you
bury it , the l e s s it se rves you as
par t
of your
behavior . Begin to
be
l
i eve in your
own c rea t ive
pote
n t i
a l and you wi l l begin
to
behave more c re a t i v e l y . "
O
N
TRUCT IV
E
DI
SCONT
EN
T
Discontent i s as pre requ is i t e to meaningful
problem so lv ing
as
i s di s sen t to
being
a
good c i t i zen . Adolescence i s usua l ly a l l
tha t i s requ ired fo r
achiev ing
hal f
of
t h i s
important a t t r i b u t e
of c r e a t i v i t y .
A
neon-
tented" teen
i s r a re
indeed; disconten t
goes
wi th
tha t t ime of l i f e .
To
the
young,
every-
th i
ng
needs improvement . Yet, it
i s
us ua l ly
the lack of
a cons t ruc t ive a t t i t ude t ha t
wi ns
out in the end,
tu rn ing p o t e n t i a l l y
he a l thy
ndiscontent
in to
nothing
more
than
moans
and
groans .
Cons t ruc t ive disconten t
i s a necess i ty fo r
t h e c rea t ive problem-solver .
With
matur i ty ,
your
di scon ten t
wanes
.
Socie ty
teaches t ha t
nfau l t - f inde rs " di s tu rb the s ta tus quo . t
soon
seems
ngood
not
to nmake
waves or
nrock the boat and nle t s leep ing dogs l i e "
and
nbe seen
but not heard
. Only a con-
s t r u c t i v e a t t i t u d e
can maintain
the
once
dynamic condi t ion .
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WHOLENESS
Everyone
both senses nr.d
kn
r a l
to
bo t h
fe e l and to thinl :
It ._p
. l a tu-
1 _i je.;.
With
age
t he
more
you
thP s
you
t end
to fee l . It s f a s t e r
th
l
w f ·
A n
>lmal
a du l t
wi l l smother se n s i t i v i .. · n favrn· of
automat ic
judgment and
moving on
new
knowledge
. But
remain ing 2e'1sit1.ve d o e s n t
mean re - l e a rn ing the same Lhin51s v 1 and
over
aga in
.
I t s imply
al lows
f . ) l
:t
.ore
balanced whole. By
a l t e r n a t i n l
... f ee l -
i ng
and knowing, between i nq .J 1 dec id-
i ng
in a conscious way, you lla
in t
d n
cC'nt
1·o1
of your
WHOLE
p o t e n t i a l .
ABILITY T CONTROL
HABIT
Behavior in genera l i s
a.
·n•
h a b i t s . Habi t s
s impl1fy l:f
from d is c ove r ie s
cu1neJ t
l
I
t i ons which, when
1·epPat I
u11t
1 .-
i
become
automat ic
.
Since
t:.E· n
· l
ba s ic d i s c ove r ie s
occu1· Vv 1 y
always works
a ga in s t you
i
1 -
P1
1 c
·•h
>V
ing c r e a t i v e l y .
In orde r
to see th::.ngs
d i
1ft. r t
l}
t
1
t t
come mo1·e innova t ive , it i s r.rt ·1 h w
he lp fu l
o r
h inde r ing
you1 l nb i s t... l.l>
te rms
of persona l
prob::..em-solvi.r.
t
i
11
12
4
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........ locks to
cre tiv
I t i s normal
to
hold
bac
k because of being
wary of making mistakes o r ask ing dum
b
ques t ions . Yet few
e r ro r s car ry
s t i f f pena l -
t i e s and the ask ing of any ques t ion , no mat-
t e r how innocent , suggests
wi
ll
ing
ness to
l ea rn . The most common b a r r i e r s t o crea t ive
behavior
a re
se l f -genera t ed
pr ide , fea r ,
jea lousy and
compet i t iveness .
The c rea t ive ly
ac t ive
person
i s
not put
o f f
by such
demons.
FEAR of making mi s c a
kes
FEAR o f
be ing seen as
a foo l
FE R
o f
be ing
e
xposed
as ignoran t
FEAR
of be ing c r i t i c i z e d fo r
FE R o f
of fend ing
o the1s
FEAR
o f being
a
lone
FEAR
o f
making waves
FEAR o f
b
e ing
a ssoc i a t e d
with
taboos
FEAR
o f l o s ing the
s e c u t i t y of
hab i t
FEAR o f
l o s ing
the
love of
th
group
FEAR
o f
t ak i n g
a
star ,d
and having t c defend
t
FEAP o f
being unable to
t ake
Lhe heat
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Fear from lack of
and
the
accompanying anxie ty when dea l ing wi th the
unknown.
Since
c rea t ive
problem-solv ing sugges t s
div-
ing
head
f i r s t
in to the unknown, f ea r might
be
your most
formidable enemy Being a f ra id
i s
both
na tura l
and
normal. Trying to
be
fea r le s s i s r i sky
bus iness s ince f ea r
evokes
cau t ion
which a t t imes
can be
a
l i f e - s a v e r .
But
when
cau t ion de te r s progress
and
cre -
a t i v i t y
through
misdirec t ing
your
energy,
it
i s working agains t you.
It s unreasonable
to imagine
escap ing
f ea r
a l toge the r But
by
changing
your focus
from
I 'm a f ra id to
be wrong
to I 'm t ry ing to
be
r i g h t ,
the po in t o f view
can
help
in ovet·coming
t h i s
major block
to
a
more
c rea t ive l i f e
Humans are
soc ia l and no hea l thy
person would enjoy being an o u t c a s t But
behaving ' o f f the
wal l '
0 1 ' ou t of the box'
can you j us t t ha t Fear o f being alone,
apar t
from the norm, s tops most people from
even
cons ider ing
doing o r saying something
thaL might be judged as
unusua l .
Then
again,
what i f you do
t r y
something
unusual which tu rns out to be a l l
wrong?
Will you be judged as a fool? The
mere
thought of wearing a dunce cap
i s
enough to
s top normal people in
theiY t r acks .
I t
i s
t rue
thaL
the plane could crash and the
boat
could
s ink but the
odds
aga ins t e i t h e r d i-
sa s t e l
happening keep a i r
and
sea
lanes
busy. Only s e l f -b e l i e f , the hope of being
r igh t
ins tead
of wrong, can outweigh such
fea t s .
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)
_
- -
In essence log ic helps us
to
unders t and how
a l l
th ings are
o r can be
organized and
in
t e r r e l a t e d .
I t i s
a
bas i s
or foundat ion
on
which
to
bui ld . I t
i s
an
order ing
system
with in which
we
can
deal
wi th
pieces
and not
lose s i g h t
o f the
t o t a l i t y t ha t
conta ins
them.
Logic
i s a
way, an order ly way,
to
inc lude
sensory
response in a consc i ous p ro
cess .
IN
SHORT
LOGI
m kes
S NS
Organized
knowing
develops meaningful
f ee l
ing
.
LOGIC i s both
bas i s and
contex t fo r order .
LOGIC i s a guide for mental ac t iv i ty .
LOGIC
i s
devoid of everyday l ingu i s t i c
conten t . . .
t
has no
semant i cs .
LOGIC
i s
syntax r a t h e r t han
def in i t ion .
LOGIC
i s
a s t r u c t ure
fo r
reas
on
.
LOGIC
i s
a s e r i e s of opera t ions o r
methodi-
c a l
t rans format ions .
LOGIC i s n e i t h e r
metaphysical
nor ph i
lo
-
sophica l
.
LOGIC i s the
bas i s
of sc i e n t i f i c
methodology.
LOGIC provi des an orga n iz a t iona l framework.
LOGIC i s
in f lux .
LOGIC simpl ifie s process .
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TheDESION
PRO ESS
s
a Problem Solving
JOURNEY
Gym teachers and geolog i s t s , wri te rs and
t ruck farmers,
movie
makers and motorcy-
c l i s t s , audiophi les and
e leva to r
opera tors ,
xylophonis ts and s c i - f i fans are
a l l prob-
le m
-so
lve rs . Everyone i s a
problem-solver .
Some
j u s t do t b e t t e r t han
other s ,
by
de-
s ign . By gene1at ing
unique
and/or
par t i cu-
l a l l y s a t i s fy i n g so lu t ions , a des igner i s
sa id to behave c rea t ive ly . Since problem
so lv ing i s in te r twined with l iv ing , you are
ever embarking on a problem-solving journey
of
one
so r t
o r
another .
The more you under-
s tand
.:::>ESIGN
as
being
c lose ly
r e l a t e d
to
the
l i f e process
the be t te1
y o u l l
be as a c r e -
a t i v e problem - so lve r o r d e s i g n e r .
The c1ea t ive problem-solv ing
design)
pro
-
cess
i s
most
e a s i l y understood as a sequence
of
s tages
o r s topovers on a journey to a
given des t ina t ion . A fu l l round- t r ip i t i n e r -
a ry o f f e r s exper ience a t each of those
places . Once in te rna l i zed through e xpe r i -
ence, design process or i en ted
t r ave l
in -
volves the conscious a p p l i c a t i o n
of
incen-
t i ves , i n t en t ions , dec is ions , ac t ions and
eva lua t ions .
Note : The
des ign
process presen ted here i s a
design in i t s e l f ;
developed
by
ex t rac t ing
the
essen t i a l charac
t e r i s t i c s
of many spe-
c i f i c
problem-solv ing processes , inc lud ing
the works of Wallas,
Dewey,
Rossman,
Guil ford ,
Osborn, Stan is lawski , Barnes,
Gordon,
Kepner-T1egoe
,
Arnold, Churchman,
Zwicky,
General
Elec t r i c , the Mil i t a ry ,
and
?EPT
Pr.oqld n Evalua t ion
Review Technique) .
16
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accept
analyz
. '
sele
impleme
; -
l . t_
•• . i -
-
GE
TT
II G STARTED
S t a t i n g inilial i n t e n t ion s ; accept the prob-
lem
a s
a
a l lowing the
proble rr
to
b-::come
the ge:r:.::.rator o f
va t ion .
GATHERING
FAC
TS
AND FEELINGS
Becoming
with
the in s
i de s
and
ou t s ide s o f
t he
problem;
what
t he """'Ol lcl o f rh,:;: EHOblPm" con t a i n s
.
DETERMINING
THE
DEST IN ATION
(ESSENTIALS
FOR
SUCCESS)
f 2t .... n n i n i n q rh -
ic ;
'tlt::=" o f t
fl
D l >blc->rn ;
conr
, u t 11 11 i;,:;
1
nu 111..:
1 1 i 1 d .· l lillP
• l 1
i
f ' / l l . J 1 111,;
1
r·nrl.s
1
l •
.·r}dt
GE I RAT
HI
G AL
E RNA T
IVES
I den l l t : : i ng 1 l l p': lssible way.' c1f 1·ec1l t .: i
ng
t he goc=tls .
CH0 0 S
Hl
G FROI l THE 0 PTI 0 ·l S
'()1[;1 i l t. h· 1
-...
t i I
, q '
il
/1 .
l L - l . .
t
..
wa y
s u t irt-1 Lllt. lE:;
dete1n11
n iltLJ tltt·
lH.=s:
malc'h (
e s J
HKIIJG ACTIOII
i v ing
fonn
to
s e l e c t e d :c1ys;
r e a l i z i n g
in te n t ions .
MEASURING SUCCESS
Reviewing
t he joun1""Y to deu>nninf:': t.
he
de
gree o f
s uc c e s s a n i i t s
O'..Tcl·al:
va : ·w; what
was l e
a r ned ? Ho t: c
=m the e::pet i ence
be
used
to
ma ke
fu tu r e
l l · ave l mo1·e
nv;.-tningful a nd /o r
e n joy a
b l
e?
17
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About AN ALYSIS
and
SYNT S S
When
comparing
var ied
approaches
to
problem-
so lv ing
it
soon
becomes
c lea r t h a t ce r t a in
common
denominators e x i s t
which uni te
them
a l l
In pa1t i cu l a r two
basic s tages
e:nerge
The
f i 1 s t i s
ANALYSIS
o r
b1eaking
the
whole
i n to
par t s
fo r
c lose r
examinat ion
The second
i s SYNTHESIS
or reso lv ing the
p a r t s
to fo1m a
new
whole
The need
to
apply what
i s
lea rned from
Analys i s
to
form
a Synthes is a
t h i rd
con
ne c t ive l i nk o r
br idge i s
of t en sugges ted .
When
included, the bas i c
process
becomes
Fu1ther sub div i s ion
becomes
personal and
spec i f i c
or dependent on the type of
problem
considered
In genera l terms, Synthes is fo r
example,
breaks
down
i n t o
ide a - f ind ing
i dea - se l ec t ing and ac t ion- t ak ing
I f
Accep-
t ance i s added a t
che
beginning
and
Evalua
ion ':a.cl:ed onto the end,
a
sequence of
seven a c t i v i c i e s evolves
That seven s tage
process
presen ted
in the fol lowing pages
[si\ i:ton H analy
ze
I f
order ly
th ink ing
seems
as
i
it
might
hamper
your
c rea t ive
freedom, t r y
to
r e a l i z e
t h a t
most
procedures can be
viewed
or ap-
pl i ed in
a v a r i e t y
of ways. ow
you see
something
i s l a rge ly
up
to you.
Procedura l
s tages need
not
fol low one anot h e r
l i n e a r l y
l i k e coaches of
a
t r a in
where
moving forward
depends on
pass ing through
success ive
c a rs
one ac a t ime There are other vers ions
20
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fe dback
You
might
view t he s t ages o f
back and fo r th
a c t ion where
yo·. 11ev
e.r r ;
forward
wi thout a lways looping bacl:
to
checJ:
on yours e l f ; where progress onlv trs b:·
l ooking
backward before moving f
You
might go on and on , never
stcpp
11cL
so lv ing one p roblem a f t e r an
othe l
0 1 112rlling
with the same proble m
again
and a--rain,
a lways g e t t i n g a b i t c lo se r to pelfr·• icE.
tl
d
te] rev lu te]
= / e
· •
==
[
[ideate
[
circular
You might regard th e des ign P' u ·e .
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a wor about
Problem Solving
Methods
Because Lravel usua l ly
e n t a i l s
t ry ing
the
unt r ied, it can
a t t imes be
complex
and
f rus t ra t ing .
Learning
how to t rave l
becomes a necess i ty . Much l i k e
se lec t ing
the
rou te , s ide roads , and
overn igh t
s tops fo r
t r ave l ,
choosing
and t a i
methods
to f i t
both problem and problem-
so lve r i s a separa te ta sk
with in
each
problem
so lv ing
journey
.
Along with t h e i r other
suppl i es ,
exper i
encecl t r a v e l e r s
(crea t ive
problem-solv
ers ) usua l ly keep
notes
to them of
the bes t
ways
t o ge t
from
place to
place .
Such in format ion regard ing technique o r
approach i s ca l l e
d
method.
DESIGN
METHODS are prac t i ca l ways fo r
g e t t i n g from one des ign s tage
to
another .
Crea t ing
your
own
design
methods
i s
easy
once you r e a l i z e t hey need not be
complex
01
formal .
You a l ready
have
favor i t e s ,
pe1haps not consc ious ly
named
o r con
t ro l l ed , but ways tha t are p a r t i c u l a r l y
yours fr·om prev ious use. Giving
names
to
methods
i s
an i dea l method in i t s e l f . It
i s a way to improve remembering a par
t i c u l a r
technique. There
are
as many d i f -
fe re n t methods as t he re a re people wi th
needs fo r
methods. A
u n i v e r s a l l y
common
method of making notes , fo r
example, i s
c a l l e d
by
dozens of d i f f e r e n t names
.
Observa t ion sugges t s t h a t complex prob-
lems may
r equ i r e
complex techniques while
simple problems
might
be handled more
bas ica l ly .
Then
aga in ,
in
sp i t e
of
logic ,
the reverse might a l so be va l id
.
In any
event ,
you should unders tand t h a t j u s t as
you wouldn t
choose
a
moving
van to go
ge t the grocer i es , you wouldn t choose
computerized t echniques in order to make
a
dec i s ion
from a lunch menu bu t you
could i f
it
became appropr ia te
to a
spe-
c i f i c
s i t u a t i o n l i k e s e l e c t i n g fo r chou-
sands
of
de lega tes a t a p o l i t i c a l conven-
t ion .
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3
ra
s
C
fl GET Hl
YOUR
Y /AY
anl 1ntu i t ion . I t
embod-
P S you knowledge and
i s
you1
bas ic data-bank .
Being
in
s igh t f
u l
i s to
al low
you1 pas t
to
serve as a guide
to
your
future
. . .
but
don t
allow
ins igh t to
control every
decis io
n.
Fresh anal ys is can
clnnge e"J
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Afte r the i n e r t i a
i s
broken t he re
i s
usua l ly
much
more
t r ave l ing to
do
. Simi l a r ly , i f a
f i r s t u idea
i s
not proper ly eva lua ted in
te
r ms
of
overa l l objec t ives
and
ends
up be-
ing
your
only u idea ,
it
can cause even more
t r o
u
b le
.
Remaining consc ious of
the
en
t
i r e
PROCESS a t every s tage al lows you to con-
s
id e r
new
a l t e rna t ives and
to
make your
l i m i t a t i o n s and
your
objec t ives as you go .
DON T BE FRIGHTENED
BY
BIGNE SS
. There are
t
ools fo r dea l ing
wi th
a l l
contex ts
l a rge
o r
s m
a l l
.
Seek the
too l s tha t
it the ta sk .
A consc ious ly-appl ied PROCESS-METHOD combi-
na t
ion
can smooth
out even the most
un-
f
r i end ly or un fa mi l i a r appear ing s i tua t ion .
EXP E
RIENC
E I S TH E
BES
T
TE ACHER. Relax and
l ea rn
.
You
wil l only
be ac homeu wi th what
you
to
be t rue
yourse l f .
DON 'T
BE HALF-I·iiTTED
.
Knowledge
wi th
age
crea t es
a
tendency
to
cease
explo
r a t i o n and to become a KNOW-IT-ALL or SENSE-
IT- NOT .
Remember t ha t wholeness
requi res
both s en s i t i v i t y and knowledge .
I t helps
to
enhance
cur ios i ty
,
uniqueness, doing the
unexpected
and adventure . The older , more
educa ted
and exper ienced you
become
,
the
more you know and the l e s s sense you imagine
to need .
TH INK BEFORE
YOU L
E
P.
Quick
so lu t ions to
uns tud ied
and
undef ined problems can be even
more problemat ic a f t e r the fac t .
When
prob-
lem s i t u a t i o n s a r i se t ake
some
s ide t r i p s to
Analys i s and Def in i t i on before jumping
to
answers and
conc lus ions
.
In s te a d of
asking
What can
I
do
about
some apparent
problemu
s top to ques t ion whether o r
not
a t rue prob-
lem e x i s t s .
32
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asic Methods
In the world of ways- to-do- th ings the re
see
ms to be an unl imi ted number of var i a -
t i ons
on two fundamental methods :
Perhaps y o u l l re cognize the
fol lowing
ba s ic
te c hn i ques ' in your persona l
behavior
.
Trial and rror
The
most
bas i c
of
s c i en t i f i c
methods
i s
known by
a l l
as
trial
and e r r o r
. ' I f
a t
f i r s t you
d o n t
succeed, t r y and
t ry
again .
T
r i a l and
Error i s
the
seed
tha t breeds hun-
dreds
of
s imple
and
complex
of f spr ing .
Checklists
L i s t -making
has
many
v a r i a t i o n s
in cluding
c h e c k l i s t s ,
l i s t s
of
components
or par t s ,
l i s t s of purposes and re asons, l i s t s of op-
t i o n s
and
p o s s i b i l i t
ie s
, lis
t s of
caut ions
and f ea r s
, l i s t s
of th ings
to
do, e tc
. ,
e tc
.
Brainstorming, pos s ib ly the most popular
among
consc ious ly
appl ied
d
es ign
methods,
i s
a
l i s t -making
t echnique .
L
earn
ing to
make l i s t s
i s
fundamental
t o
becoming more
methodical
and process-aware .
Shopping l i s t s and
other
d a i l y to -do l i s t s
a re
good
p la c e s to begin .
Become
a b e t t e r
list
-
maker and
y o u l l
be on
you r
way
to
more
success fu l
(c rea t ive )
problem
- so lv ing .
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Specific ethods
Like
Nature wich
i t s dynamic
changing sea-
sons,
nothing i s
s t a c i c about
c rea t ive prob-
l em-solv ing
. The dynamic a l t e rn a t i o n between
convergenc and
divergent
th ink ing involved
in
the fol lowing
sequence
of
gener ic methods
i s a
' na tu ra l '
progress ion . Conscious ' fo -
cus ' on
any de ta i l of
a ' b ig p ic tu re ' re
q
ui res
tha
t
you
f i r s t broaden your
sco
p e
to
see the
whole , then nartow down to see
the
p a r t s .
C
C
EPT N
CE
The
s t a r t
of
any
e ve n tua l ly
s a t i s fy i n g
jou r -
ney i s a
wil l ingness
co
go. I '
LL BU
Y TH
T
i s
the bas ic mechol
.
Ic
requi res
ass ign ing
a
percen tage o f
you1 asse t s to a
p a r t i c u l a r
a c t i v i t y ;
na1rowing
(converging) choices
from every th ing poten t i a l ly
poss ib l e t o
the
few
tha t are r e a l i s r i c a l l y
doable
. How
you
get
s t a r t e d i s
a
petsona l matte r .
Knowing
what
dr ives
you
to
accept
cha l lenge
and
become involved becomes a l l - impor t an t
to
success . Reward moves
some ; some
depend on
t hrea t . Which
wi l l
it
be
- a c a r ro t
or
a
whip?
AN LYS IS
The
ba s ic method
i s
AT' S INVOLV ED?
Before
you can
develop an unders tanding
of
any s i tua t ion ,
you
need to gee the f ac t s
.
Often cloaked with in
the
fuzzy i s sues of
i n i t i a l problem y o u ' l l need
to
apply
some var ia t ion
of t h i s method to un -
cover· them.
Finding f a c t s and
t hey
i n t e r re l ace
re -
qui res
sea1ching fo r re la c e d
information . . . ques t ion ing a l l s ides of the
s i t u a t i o n examining the
d e t a i l s . . . involvement in
f a i r
and impar t ia l ,
open-minded
t eseatch.
(Divergence)
DEFIN I TION
The
bas i c
method
i s ESS E
NCE F
I NDI NG.
This
convergence
method involves
the
d i g e s t -
ing of in format ion
to
revea l
essen t ia l
guide l ines . When
bo i le d
down to
the
impor
t a n t aspec ts o r
i n t e r re l a t ionsh ips
, those
essences a l low
you to formulate a con-
cept
o r bas i s
f o r fu rcher op t ions ,
dec i -
s ions
and ac t ions . Once i den t i f i ed , the
es-
se n t i a l i ngred ien t ( s ) ptov ides d i1ec t ion o
a
s uc c e s s fu l conc lus ion .
This key s tage o f-
ten requi res forming
an
a t t i t u d e o r
t ak ing
a
s tand .
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Ut I U J
The
next bas ic s tep , a phase, i s
IDEA -FIND
I
NG
;
the
sea rch fo r
a l l poss ib le
means
to
t r a n s l a t e
d e f i n i t i o n s co rea l -
i t y
.
The
t a s k
i s
to develop a
of
choices
or
" opt ions . " Finding ideas
depends
on yo
u r a b il i ty to wi
den your
th ink ing
from
the narrowed d e f i n i t i v e s tage tha t came
be f
ore it
. Defer r ing judgment
u n t i l
a suf -
f ic i e n t numb e r of op t i ons i s generated i s
a l l - impor
t a n t
a t
t h i s
phase
.
I D
EA
-
SE LEC
TIO N
Th
e b a s
ic
m
ethod,
THE B
ES
T
WAY e n t a i l s
co
mp a r i ng
wh
a t you want with what you can
have
.
From
a n
a lys
i s
you uncovered the
f
ac t s
. From f ac t s you
determined
essence .
Wi th i d
eat ion,
a v a r i e t y of
ways
(opt ions)
to
r e a l
i ze t h a t essence was revealed .
Where
before , ideas were without c l e a r purpose,
t hey are now more or l e s s meaningful in
terms of the d e f i n i t i o n s
s ta ted
.
What
remains i s
t o
decide
(converge)
which
of
t hose
ways "
wil l
be s t do
the
job.
IMP LE
M
N
T
ATION
M
AKE
I T RE AL .
the
next
bas ic method,
i s
another
d ivergent
exper ience. I t
evokes
a c t ion by formulat ing
plans
and
t r a n s l a t i n g
abs t rac t
'
v i r t u a l thoughts
and words
i n to
con
c re t e
r e a l i t y . It s a l
most l i k e re turn
-
ing t o "Go " e xcep t you now know where
you '
re
hea d
ed and
the
pa th you plan
to
take
. Ma k i ng i t happen can e n t a i l many more
dec
i s i
ons
. I t i s
here
where
sub
-
problems
are
most l i k e l y to
occur
and
where
begin-
ning problem-solvers of t en lose s igh t of
the
s ta ge s
in the
process
chat led
them
t h i s
fa r
. . .
almost
to
the end
.
EVA UATI
ON
For the f i n a l convergent s tage of the pro-
cess , the ba s ic method i s
H
Ovi D
I
DO?
Since eva lua t ion involves comparing aims
and i n t e n t i ons wi th
a t ta inment
and achieve-
ment, it
i s he re
where plans fo r improve-
ment
are formulated
.
But why wai t unt i l the
end
to
check on
progress
when ongoing
eva lua t ion can serve as
both guide and
t r a ve l companion
throughout
the journey?
ACCEPTANCE
i s
the l og i ca l i n i t i a l Design o r
hich specific
sit
u tion
bothers
you
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Some
lessons
e t
ned
from Problem
Solving
y
experience
1 . Don ' t be l i e ve every th ing you
hear
or
read.
2 . I f you haven L b een the re before , you
may
have to
f ee l you1 way slowly.
3 . Having
been the re
before
can
s top you
from
f ind ing
new ways
to
ge t
the re .
4 .
Th
e
so lu t ion of one p rob lem might t r ans -
fe r
to
other
kinds of problems.
5 . Programmed
process
need
not
ru l e out
chance
.
6 .
en
Analys is
l eads
to
De f in i t i on, once
im p
oss
i b l e s i t u a t i o n s
t u rn
i n to
so lvab le
prob
lems .
7 .
I f
you want
ins ig
h t , you h ave to break
through the surfaces of
th ings .
8.
Obvious
answers
a re o f t e n
the hardes t
to
f ind .
9. Dif fe re n t po i n t s of
view
a re seen
through
d i f f e r e n t s e t s of
eyes .
10
.
I t
i s
easy
to
look. To see t akes e f f o r t
.
Crea t ive
thoughts come from see ing wi th
' f resh ' eyes
.
11 . There a re
more
ways than one to ge t to
the same place .
12 . F
ac t s
a nd
unders t anding
a re c lo s e ly con-
nec ted .
13.
One th ing
l eads
to
another
.
Follow
the
c lue s .
14.
Unti l t r a n s l a t e d i n to
l essons ,
unpleas-
a n t memories can block discovery.
15 . I n t u i t i o n i s the
subconsc ious
accumula-
t i o n of pas t exper iences . Great exper i -
e nc es lead
to
deeper f ee l ings .
16. All expe
r i enc
e i s permanent ly locked
in
the b r a i n wai t ing
to
be c a l l e d
in to
se r -
v ic e .
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ylogic
1.
A
subconscious
random sample
of
thoughts
c
an s t imula te
a need fo r orde r .
2.
I t makes sense
to
se t
l imi t s to every
i n t e n t i o n
.
3.
Thinking
in
i t s e l f does not
evoke
cre-
a t i v i t y
which a l s o
depends on f ee l ing
4 .
Trying
to
so
l
ve
one th i ng i s of t en ac-
complished
by so lv ing something e l se .
5. When
you examine
only
par t of
a problem,
it s
a good
idea
to
keep
the whole prob-
lem in
mind .
6 . Proper
assessme
n t
of a l l
ideas i s essen-
t i a l .
7. Losing your
guide (secu r i t y and habi t )
i s one way to discover
new
pa ths .
8.
A
success fu l
problem
so lu t ion
i s
depen-
dent on the r e l a t i o n s h i p
of
many sub
so lu t ions .
9 . There i s always some form o f
re l a t ion
sh ip between
a l l
th ings .
10. The so lu t ion
to
one problem
of t en opens
the p o s s ib i l i t y
fo r new
problems to
occur .
11 . I t i s e a s i e r to
reach
a goal when the
pa th
of
objec t ives i s
c l e a r
.
12. A weak
can
lead to an
ine f fec t ive conc
lus ion
.
13.
Clear judgment
r equ i r es
c l e a r s tandards .
14.
The playfu l you
i s
always
t he re to
help
when the l og i ca l you ge t s s tuck .
15.
Solv ing the components can so lve en t i r e
systems.
16.
To dete rmine the so lu t ion
to a
mystery,
you
must
f ind
the
e s s e n t i a l c lues .
17 .
Some problems
r equ i r e s id e - t r i p s in to
s t range
new
t e r r i t o r y
before they can
be
reso lved .
18.
Finding s imple
ways to
dea l wi th
complex
s i t u a t i o n s i s always poss ib l e .
19. Some problems
are
so
connected t o o the r
problems
tha t they
cannot be cons idered
by
themselves a lone .
20.
A well -kep t journa l of a
p r
oces s pro-
vides
an
aucomatic
produc t .
2
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ypl8l ing
1 Pr inc ip l es and ru l es take
many
di f fe ren t
forms
2 Experiments can
be cos t ly
but worth
every
cent
3. Unrela ted
pr inc ip les
can block re levan t
p r i n c i
p le s
4. Unpleasant
journeys
leave few good
memories.
5 Perfect balance i s t h e o re t i c a l Real i ty
i s
dynamic
6 Complex problems
can be
s imply
def ined
7 A unique poin t of view
i s
of t en found
with in
ex i s t ing
poin ts o f
view
8.
Some
th ings
j u s t
c a n t
be
dea l t
with
proper ly
when
taken out of contex t
9 Experience can sometimes lead to prema
t u re
and
i ncor rec t conclusions
10
Play ing a round
wil l
a t l ea s t
ge t you
moving
11 To l ea rn
by
doi ng you must f i r s t
get
s t a r t e d
12 Cl
ear
t h ink ing
r e l i e s
on ba la nc ing l og i c
w it
h exper ience
13
Unproven pr inc ip les
can
get
you i n to
t roub le
14. Expect the unexpected Change
i s
the
only cons tan t .
15 Know what you d o n t know Deal ing con
sc ious ly with
your
ignorance develops
awareness
16 Percep t ion and r e a l i t y are never equal
17
Good
record-keeping pro longs the appre
c i a t i o n of
exper
i ence
3
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The
rt of Critical Making
Rhode Island School of esign
on
Creative
Practice
dited by Rosanne Somerson
and
Mara
L Hermano
Foreword
by John Maeda
WIL Y
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Cover images: Elish Warlop (MF A 2013
furniture
Design),
studies
lor
Rings o Fire and
oop
Skirts lighting, 2013, steel and brass, each 4 x 4 in.
Publication design:
Julie
fry
This book is printed on acid-free paper. '-'
Copyright J 20 3 by Rhode Island School ol Design.
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rights reserved.
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10 9 8 7 5 4 3 2 I
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The
Art of CriticalMak
ng An
Introduction
Rosanne
Somerso
n
Walk along the riverfront in Providence, Rhode
Island,
at the foot of College
Hill, and you
may
be
surprised by
what you
see.
ou might easily walk
beside someone carrying a hollow six-foot
shoe fabricated from
woven wire,
or alongside a group of students balancing their newly finished chairs on
their backs
and heads, or
pass
someone
lugging
a
drawing
portfolio
so
large
and
unwieldy
that you might be tempted to stop and ask to assist. On certain
days
there
could be
fashion collections
wheeled on hanger racks, or recycled
industrial
off-cuts of felt and cork
spilling
out of bags
slung
over shoulders,
or
even sculpted
metal
chopsticks three times the height of the woman hauling
them.
Someone
might
have
laced delicate woven
yarn
around
trees
lining the
river walk, preparing their branches with sweater-like covers for winter. Out
of sight, inside
the
studios and labs, a diverse range of projects could likely
be developing-investigations into sustainable systems for food transport, or
objects designed for
extreme
climates, or a video that correlates and weaves
together
two
events happening
simultaneously
in
different locations.
Art schools are lively places, but few outside their walls have the oppor-
tunity to experience
the kind
of
environment
where
the new is manifest
every
day,
where paradigms are continually stretched and
challenged,
and
where shock and beauty flourish side by side. What
is the
magic in the
art and
design
school learning model that advances an
individual from
an
interested student
into a creative innovator? And how might
the
creativity
and
expertise
that result
from
this
form of
education
be accessible to others?
While no
single
philosophy or
pedagogy
effectively turns developing artists
and
designers
into creative
professionals, some shared methods
have proven
to transform hard-working students into exceptional creative practitioners.
In this book, RISD faculty and staff examine these methods to explore RISD's
rationale and approach
in developing
and
enhancing creative
learning.
Additionally,
we
explore the
efficacy
and the essential need, in
contempo-
rary times, for learning that includes
hands-on
practice,
the
processing of
enhanced seeing
and
perception, and contextualized
understanding-all ele-
ments of critical making.
9
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2 ROS NNE SOMERSON
At RISD we develop curricular models through
which
innovation and
originality
are
coaxed,
rendered, and
challenged,
leading to heightened
expression and
new ways of thinking. We
cultivate
intense
personal
devel-
opment,
deep
disciplinary expertise, rigorous skill-building,
advanced
con-
ceptual reasoning, and attention to both process and execution. We are
committed
to fostering
creative
and critical thinkers who innovate with ease,
who are not rattled by uncertainty, who move agilely from one form of output
to
another, and who
can
communicate
in
multiple
ways
with
acuity
and
clar-
ity. e believe that these traits are effective remedies for crumbling systems
and
structures that
no
longer work. As educational
systems
propel us fur-
ther
and further away
from physical.
tangible experience, how better
might
learning support
nimble,
innovative, and imaginative thinking than
through
models that
emphasize the
iterative
formation
of ideas
through making?
Contemporary times call for
contemporary
thinkers and
makers.
Through
these
pages, we invite you to enter with us into a world of
creative
energy
and
rigorous
investigation. Who
might benent from a peek
through the
keyhole
into the multifaceted characteristics of
RISD's
educa-
tional
practice? This
book
will certainly be useful to those who
are directly
pursuing an
art
and design education. Prospective students will gather deep
insights
into their potential futures. Parents who may be skeptical about
the
benents
of supporting such a
path at
a time
when
it
seems
that key
oppor-
tunities point toward other areas of
study-business,
technology,
scientinc
research,
entertainment,
medicine,
and
marketing-may be
surprised
to
learn
that
RISD
alumni have succeeded
at high
level
s in remarkable
ways in
all of
these
fi.elds. A RISD
alumna
who later became
an
attorney
still cites her
RISD
education
as
the formative
basis
for
complex problem solving required
in
her law practice; a product
designer
demonstrates that his education in
design process
helped
him to
create one
of
the most successful
online busi-
nesses
in
existence; some of
the region's best
restaurants famous for their
remarkably
innovative
cuisine boast RISD alumni
as
chefs and owners.
Our
alumni are successful recording artists, medical
device
inventors, and social
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THE ART OF CR ITICAL MAK I NG 21
visionaries who have
changed
and improved lives around the world. And
of
course the list
of distinguished alumni artists and
designers
represent-
ing
every
form of creative practice is the source of
great
pride. RISD gradu-
ates
have
made Oscar-winning
fi.lms
(and even hosted the Oscars), popular
book and television series, and signifi.cant public programming. Th e
num-
ber of
alumni who
have been awarded MacArthur genius Fellowships and
Fulbrights
is
unmatched by any other art
school.
Look at the Gallery Guide
in any city, attend any global art fair, or visit any of the
top
design, architec-
ture, fashion, or textile li.rms,
and you
will l ikely li.nd numerous RISD alumni
at work. In short,
extraordinary
results
have
emerged
from
the RISD
educa-
tional experience as it
has
evolved over
some
13S years.
In
addition
to aspiring
young artists and
designers
and their
parents,
many others will find this book enlightening and supportive. Many corpo-
rations
recognize
how
much
more
inventive
they can be when
they
apply
principles like
those
framed in
our
curricula,
paying close
attention to how
they activate innovation
and advance
opportunity. Businesses of all sorts
looking for
ways
to rethink
long-held
assumptions and to
build
greater cre-
at ivity into their process and outcomes will
fi nd
illuminating and expansive
approaches to familiar questions,
which may
well generate
innovation
and
new achievement. Practitioners early in their careers looking for ways to
build
their
own
strong
creative practices will benefit from
the
insights of the
experienced educators who have contributed to this book,
gaining
deeper
understanding
of high-level creative learning. Even other systems of educa-
tion
can benefit
from echoing
the curricular approaches
and
processes of
an art and design institution such as RISD. Indeed, so much about
art
and
design
education can
benefit
a
broad audience.
The writers who have contributed to this book-like all of our faculty, staff,
and librarians-lead
in
their disciplines through engaged and ongoing pro-
fessional practice. These writers do not
attempt here
to define
art
or design.
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ROS NNE SOMERSON
They
do not offer a prescription for creative
innovation.
Instead, they
offer
observations and examples from
direct
experience that
make
up
the sub-
stance
and distinction
of a RISD
education,
untangling
the
territory of art edu-
cation, which remains largely unknown outside o arts institutions. Through
our contributors' careful telling, RISD s remarkably effective
methodologies
and tools for transformative education can be accessed by any curious
reader.
In
the
Preface,
neurologist,
author, and researcher Frank
Wilson-the
only writer in
this book who is
not
a
faculty or staff
member at RISD (though
he
is
a frequent RISD visitor and lecturer)-describes the biologic science of
the
co-evolution of
the
hand and
the brain,
and
proposes the
resulting
neu-
rological precedents to thinking and making as collaborators
in
both human
and educational development. He sets the stage for
the
other contributors,
who echo how the artistic mind relies on making as a critical
activity,
one
that informs a
particular
kind of deep intelligence that
cannot
be learned
without
real
material
manipulation and sensory,
embodied
experience.
Leslie Hirst, Foundation Studies faculty member, presents
the
ground-
work of preparing students to become immersive learners in our
common
undergraduate first year, literally laying
the
foundation
for the commitment
it
takes
to succeed as a creative professional. The
nrst
-year experience for
freshmen,
and, in
different ways, for
graduate students, is
about learning
how to reset expectations, to nnd new ways to begin, and to
develop
the
conceptual
and
making
tools necessary
to create
works that are signincant
in
composition, presentation, function,
or solution.
The
nrst
year is about
devising individual systems for making and breaking one's own rules. As
Hirst
notes, it is
also about learning
to live
comfortably
in
uncertainty
so
as to take new risks and forge new directions, and to push harder through
personal
limitations
than ever imagined. These
fundamental
and
formative
experiences contribute to
building
the experience and bodies of
knowledge
that
shape
an
artist
or
designer.
The creative process cannot live independently from the contexts
that
inform the maker. In his
essay,
Dean of Liberal
Arts Daniel
Cavicchi
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THE ART O
CRITICAL MAKING 3
describes how the rigorous
Liberal
Arts courses
required of every RISD
student deepen scholarship, research practices, and forms of expression.
Inquiry takes many
forms
in
an
art and design
environment,
and
at RISD we
believe that multiple research methodologies are paramount to developing
innovative
thinking
and
making and
to
educating informed future
citizens-a
goal at the heart of RISD's mission. RISD students draw connections to his-
tories,
philosophies,
literary forms, and identities-all
essential
to building
ethical,
reflective, self-aware,
and
articulate practices.
Cavicchi
describes
how RISD students thus develop a familiarity with meta-thinking which, in
turn, heightens
their
ability to
see
new connections and meanings. Liberal
Arts courses create context that informs studio work, just as
art
and design
students bring
into
their Liberal Arts
classrooms unique and
imaginative
forms of inquiry.
Three
topics in
this
book-drawing, materials, and critique- are so
essential
to a RISD
education, and yet so diversely implemented, that
we
chose to present them as
guided
Conversations, incorporating
numerous
voices t
express
multiple approaches. The nrst Conversation, led
by
Dean
of Graduate Studies
Patricia
Phillips, explores drawing. Drawing is funda-
mental to RISD learning.
Drawing
helps to develop the intelligence of the
hand
and its cooperation with
the
eye
and the brain.
Drawings
are
a required
component
of
our
undergraduate admissions application,
and
help to deter-
mine who gets accepted into RISD. We use
these
application drawings, how-
ever, not just to evaluate who draws well
but
to
help
us
assess
how an
applicant
sees.
To non-artists, drawing is often understood as replicating or represent-
ing what is
seen-capturing
shape and contour,
composition,
outlines, and
shadows
in space. At
RISD, though
mastering
various
representation
tech-
niques
may
be
part of skill-building, drawing is regarded
more
as what
Phillips calls a flexible instrument, a developmental tool, a way of mapping
thinking that can
be
circuitous, improvisational,
or highly structured. Draw-
ing also
helps
us to record events and ideas and share them with someone
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4
ROS NNE SOMERSON
else. It
can
be a
container
for
curiosity
banking
undeveloped ideas
to perco-
late into
something
later. I still
refer
to
sketchbooks
that I
made as
a
sopho-
more,
many
years ago. The raw ideas in
those
pages
engender
completely
new resonance to
me today,
and in some instances have
manifested
as
proj-
ects decades
later.
When
we
turn drawings into
things how
do
those
things
emulate
or
express the thinking that helped
to
bring them
to life? In Thingking,
Professor
John Dunnigan
merges
thinking and making into
one
action word,
highlighting
their symbiotic relationship. Dunnigan proposes tha t
embodied
knowledge
is
a
direct
result
of
engaging with
real
materials
and
real
scale.
He
articulates
a
clear
philosophy about how both research and
conceptual
development
emerge
in physical form, exemplifying
curricular outcomes
in
the
work
of alumni.
One
special
place
where
RISD
students and
the
public encounter extraor-
dinary
examples of real-scale objects is in the
RISD Museum. RISD
is
fortu-
nate
to have as
part
of
the
college a world-class art
museum which contains
more than
80 000
objects originating from classical times
to
the present
and
representing
most regions
of
the
world.
These great works serve as
fer-
tile sources of knowledge.
They help us
to
understand fabrication methods
across
millennia,
as
well
as broad aspects
of
culture ranging from aesthetics
to social structures to spirituality.
Sarah
Ganz Blythe, Director of Education
at
the RISD
Museum describes the
long
history
of
learning from objects as
primary sources by looking, analyzing, and contextualizing. Such
learning
helps
us form a
language
for
communicating responses
to
art and design
and in turn fosters the creation
of
art
and design objects
that
speak their own
language.
Suggesting that works of art
rarely
have fmite
or singular
mean-
ings, Ganz Blythe demonstrates
that interpretation
is a form of
expression
open
to
not
only artists
and designers
but to all museum
visitors
.
The Museum is
a
wonderful laboratory in which
to look
at not just works
of art
but the materials they
are
made
of. and how
those
have
both
changed
and remained consistent over
time. e
are
fortunate
that
our Fleet Library
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THE RT O CRITICAL MAKING 5
now includes the
Graham
Visual+
Material Resource Center, an
amazing,
growing collection
of
tens
of
thousands
of
materials
for
exploration
and
research-some
commercial
materials,
some natural materials, and some
materials that
students have created
themselves.
Materials
have
played
an
essential
role
in the
development of works of art
and design
throughout time.
Indeed,
early
historic periods were
named and designated
by
materials-the
Stone Age, the
Iron
Age, and so on. Today,
material
studies are complex and
multiply
scaled-from molecular
investigations to
research on the environ-
mental impacts
of
procurement and distribution.
The
materials
collection
provides a platform through
which
to address
these
issues,
with
a particular
focus
on
principles
of
sustainability.
Materials are
deep
at the heart of making at RISD, playing key
and
diverse
roles.
Their exploration comprises the
second of
our
Conversations, this
one led by
Associate
Professor
Kelly Dobson, Head of
our
Digital+ Media
graduate
program. Dobson interviewed
three
RISD faculty
members
and the
Visual +Material
Resource
Librarian.
Each participant has
varied
and
inti-
mate experience
with
materials
in
his
or
her work
and
teaching.
Dobson
and
her colleagues
perspectives challenge us to regard materials both
pragmati-
cally and conceptually, showing how
material
explorations and applications
operate
in
both
orthodox and innovative ways. The
conversations
address
not just the application
of
materials, but
how
sensitized
responses
to
materi-
als
can allow the material, rather than
the maker,
to lead. Materials can be
virtual as
well,
which
means
that
now, like never before, artists
and design-
ers
have a
wider palette with which
to
express their ideas.
Lucinda Hitchcock,
Professor
in Graphic Design,
addresses another
pro-
found
change
in
our
times-the
influx of
information
and
the form
that makes
that information evident. Hitchcock describes how visual narrative, or story-
telling, can
provide paths
to navigate, interpret,
and frame the many ways in
which
we encounter and process unfiltered
information.
She has been part
of a faculty
team
for many years at RISD that has evolved a
signature course
called Making Meaning.
Meaning is at the
heart
of
communication,
and
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6 S NNE SOMERSON
through this course
students develop
visual
forms of
expression
that facili-
tate understanding. Providing evocative descriptions o cultural phenomena
and
examples
from
the
classroom and student work. Hitchcock helps us to
understand how today's graphic designers are
cultural
curators, producing
the information that defines and enhances our experiences every day.
The natural
world provides
its own
kind
of
meaning.
Another
of RISD's
particular
treasures
is
the Edna Lawrence Nature Lab, an
inspiring
collec-
tion o natural specimens ranging from plants,
insects, and skeletons
to
rocks, shells,
and
amoebas
to
various forms
of
taxidermy animals and even
a few live
species.
A
fundamental part
of a RISD education for
75
years, the
Nature
Lab
is
a
center
for examination
and comparison and
for
learning
from
nature's systems. Students study how
efficient systems
can
produce
elegant
results,
and then
apply that learning
to other contexts.
They
explore consis-
tencies
and
inconsistencies at various scales, from galaxies
to
microscopic
worlds.
The
Nature Lab's Director, Neal Overstrom, a
design-scientist
with
a
background in both
design
and
biology,
is
uniquely
adept
at
guiding
artists
and designers to draw both information and inspiration from this magical
collection.
In
his
essay,
The Nature Imperative,
Overstrom
describes how
the Lab helps
students to develop sensitivity, observation,
and perception,
and why
this kind of
learning
matters.
Throughout the
developmental
stages
of creation, art
and design educa
-
tion depends on
critiques-or
crits
as they are
commonly
referred to at
RISD-as a
unique
learning
mode.
At a crit, students
present their
work to
reviewers, articulate their intentions, and receive
feedback.
The reviewers
might
be faculty, students and faculty,
or
a group
that includes
external pro-
fessional
reviewers.
Often
these external critics are
from
other
disciplines,
bringing
a
fresh
perspective
to
the
work.
Critiques are core to
the
development and assessment of
creative
work.
Highly
diverse
in
their methods and outcomes, they adhere to no
single for-
mula.
In
this
book
's
third
Conversation,
Professor
Eva Sutton
asked several
faculty,
students,
and
alumni
to each
make
a
sketch representative
of
his
or
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THE RT OF CRITICAL WAKING
27
her
experience of critique, then used the sketches as
a
basis
for exploring the
various modes
of critique.
Critiques
can be behavioral learning
experiences
that help participants learn about social interaction, expressions
of
support,
and
disagreement.
Successful critiques
are about perceptive, constructive
feedback, not a
judgment
of good or bad,
but
an offering of I
experience
this-was
that
your intention?
or
Wh a
t if
... ?
Critiques
provide a
path-
way
through which students develop
a lifelong ability to self-evaluate
and to
reflect
on improving, articulating, and
evolving
their ideas. The benefits of
this
kind
of
conscious awareness
of how a work
succeeds
in communicat-
ing
an intended outcome and the cultivation
of
honest response surely
have
applications not
just
in art and design
but
in multiple
circumstances.
In Acti
ng into the
Unknown, Dean of Architecture a
nd Design
Pradeep
Sharma describes how we take art and design learning
out
into
the
world-
how various forms of creativity
and
innovation
can
influence creative prac-
tices
of all
sorts as
well
as business
models,
and ultimately mark culture
itself.
Sharma
describes the various
structures of
our partnered
engagements, from
short
executive-education salons
to
long-term partnered research
projects
that we
have run with a range of corporations, industries,
and
government
agencies such as NASA. Partners collaborate
with
RISD to explore
issues
using
our
creative methodologies-to
frame
new questions
and
advance
opportunities. Our iterative
process
leads to new directions for exploration,
and
our ability
to
manifest
ideas in real
form
through making materializes
ideas
.
As Sharma suggests, this is
often
where true
innovation
occurs.
The
gifted
contributors
to
this book each articulate
an important
aspect
of
a potent,
adventurous
form of
teaching and
learning. While
this book
cel-
ebrates
the
excellence of a RISD education,
it
is
also about showcasing the
value
of an art
and design
education
in
principle,
using
RISD
as
a model.
Recently there has been
a
surge of interest in the particular character
of
art
and
design education
and how
its ingredients build
both
the
intuitive
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8 ROS NNE SOMERSON
and
rational
abilities that generate
change.
Studies and the media are
full
of examples of creative approaches applied in new contexts, as business
schools incorporate design thinking
into
curricula, businesses apply
cre-
ative
processes
to
planning and
decision-making, and companies hire
CIOs
(Chief Innovation Officers). A
plethora
of
books
about
creativity,
problem
solving,
and innovation
has
been published
in
the past
few
years.
RISD's
President,
John
Maeda, has worked with government representatives such
as
Rhode Island
Representative Jim Langevin
and numerous
bi-partisan
Congressional representatives
to
add art and design
to
the national Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education agenda, incorporating
an
A
for
a
rt and design
to
turn
STEM
into
STEAM.
This platform,
sup-
ported
now
in over 30 countries around the
globe,
recognizes art
and
design
as the secret sauce
in
multiple
fields,
engaging with creative exploration
to
reach greater potential-the potential
that
will help to define advancements
in the twenty-first
century.
Being
Provost
of RISD
at such
a
significant time in history is intensely
rewarding.
As
the world grows
increasingly
complex and fast-paced, with
global
issues impacting
us all,
making,
materials,
and meaning are
critical.
The
kind
of
essential knowing
that
we develop
at RISD-informed through
our
hands, through
our
bodies,
and in
the
creation of
works,
experiences, and
events-is more cogent than at any other time. Artists and designers hone
the capacity to generate something
from deep inside
ourselves
to live outside
of
ourselves.
By
residing
in
the experiential and the
physical,
and by
devel-
oping the hands-on as a portal of intelligent learning, we confirm
the mind
as maker
and
making as a state of mindfulness.
We demonstrate
how
artists
and designers are hosts
for
enduring
creative
discovery that is
self-initiated
and
actively
engaged.
In
short,
artists
and designers
manifest
what
has
not
existed
previously-in
many cases,
what has
never even been imagined.
A
group
of 34 forward-thinking women-members of the Rhode
Island
Centennial Committee-envisioned
the importance
of art
and design
as
the
key to progress and to humanizing
and enhancing culture when they
founded
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THE RT
O CRITICAL
M KING 9
RISD in 1877. Their early mission was three-fold. First, to teach artisans
in drawing, painting, modeling, and designing, that they may successfully
apply the principles of Art to the
requirements
of trade and manufacture.
Second,
they wanted to
train
students in the
practice
of Art,
in
order that
they
may understand its principles, give instruction to others, or become art-
ists. Third,
they
intended
to
advance
public
Art
Education,
by the
exhibi-
tion
of works of A