conventional exploratory

PURE RESEARCH IN COMMUNICATIONS DESIGN:

Expanding Professional Dialogue and Practice Through Exploration

The conventional approach to communications design is to elevate practice over theory; it is pursued with a commodified end result in mind.

However, communications design would benefit from a greater emphasis on pure research outside the constraints of commodified production.

Free exploration of materials, methods and context would allow practitioners to make profound discov-eries such as new visual languages, new substrates and new mediums.

HYPOTHESIS

conventional exploratory

practice over theory

template

conventional exploratory

commodified end results

Commodification relies on quantifiable approaches —basing conclusions on proven, measurable results:

what has worked in the past will continue to be effective.

conventional exploratory

Designers rely on ... “abductive reasoning— the logic of what might be.”

1 http://www.good.is/post/method-founders-to-win-integrate-design-and-business/ 2 http://www.archithings.com/flux-chairs-by-douwe-jacobs/2010/11/11

1 Pink, Daniel H. Drive, The Surprising Truth About What motivates us.

driven by the “joy of discovery and the challenge of creation” or attaining mastery of self initiated goals.

driven strictly by the promise of external rewards such as money or accolades.

MOTIVATION:

EXTRINSIC INTRINSIC

extrinsic motivation

intrinsic motivation

abductive reasoning

deductive reasoning

conventional methods

exploratory methods

typical results <

<Innovation

• Observation of the natural world soley for the purpose of discovering unknown laws• Driven by curiosity• Motivated by the desire to expand knowledge.

PURE RESEARCH:

conventional exploratory

Free exploration allows practicioners to make profound discoveries...

Pure Research: ScienceLOUIS PASTEUR

conventional exploratory

Pure Research: Sociology: EMILE DURKHEIM

conventional exploratory

“Unburdened by any considerations of practical application, [...] unin-hibited play with materials resulted in amazing objects, striking in their newness of conception in regard to use of color and compositional elements—objects of often quite barbaric beauty.”

Pure Research: Design ANNIE ALBERS

conventional exploratory

Pure Research in Art: JACKSON POLLOCK “Action Paintings”

conventional exploratory

Pure Research: in Art & Music JOHN CAGE“IChing Compositions”

conventional exploratory

conventional exploratory

THE TIES THAT BIND: chance = the x factor

To demonstrate the possibilities inherent in pure research, I propose a series of exploratory projects both independent and collaborative, the findings of which will be published online and in scholarly journals in order to share the knowledge gained with other practitioners.

NEXT STEPS

PROJECT I propose to use I Ching to determine spatial intervals for the creation of grid systems, leading, and page layout for a book. This determination could be drawn either from the random number generated or by using the hexagram drawn as a structural basis.

Randomly generate imagery via online solici-tation and create a montage, in which timing intervals are determined by IChing.

Invite participants to respond to a hash tag on Twitter providing a one sentence narrative with a photo. I will collect the narratives and use the I Ching to determine their order to create a new narrative. The piece would then be produced as a non-linear book.

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