Beyond the Object - Studio Strezii




beyond the object
	Below find Viveka Turnbull Hocking's PhD thesis. Hocking V. T. (2011) Beyond the Object: an intersection of design and research within a sustainability context, Australian National University, Canberra. Including: Abstract Download: Full Thesis Chapters Mockup Guidebook

abstract
Since the notion of ‘research through design’ was included in Frayling’s now famous 1993 paper ‘Research in Art and Design’ many in the design discipline have been exploring the nature of such an approach. This study explores what a research-through-design approach could be like for developing socially oriented research outcomes particularly in regards to sustainability. Much of design research focuses on constructing knowledge related to artefacts. In contrast, this study uses the design approach to construct non-object-orientated knowledge about possible futures. By non-object-orientated I am referring to a design process which does not focus on the artefact and instead is seen as facilitating the practice of everyday life. Hence, the purpose of this study is to construct a design-led methodology for the context of sustainability. To construct this design-led methodology I compile components from design practice, design research and sustainable design theory to re-mould design into a research methodology. I have also used a design project approach to construct the methodology which is reflected in the structure of the thesis. This approach includes starting with a brief, then compiling the theoretical components and context in the background research, to be distilled into a concept for the methodology. This concept is encapsulated in the notion of enabling design from within the system of the everyday. Then I use field work conducted in a rural Australian town to develop this concept, where participants are engaged in a process of imagining possible futures of sustainable wellbeing for their town. This step applied a ‘thinking by doing’ approach to further develop the concept into an outcome. The outcome is a proposal for a methodology which I call Bigamatics. This final methodology is presented as a mock-up of a guide book for early researchers to develop their own design-led research projects. I see design research as sitting within a socially oriented research context as all design outcomes are fundamental about society. Hence this design-led methodology should be of use not only to design but to socially oriented researchers more generally. However, this study only attempts to initiate this conversation between a wider variety of researchers, hoping to continue this discourse into the future. The proposed methodology is constructed for an academic context though could also be developed for wider application such as community-based and practice-based projects.
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	Full Thesis: Beyond the Object an intersection of design and research within a sustainability context. This thesis contributes to the knowledge of how to use the creative practice of design as an approach to socially oriented research, particularly in relation to the complex socio-environmental issues of sustainability. The thesis achieves this by constructing a proposal for one such design-led methodology that can generate socially oriented research outcomes relevant to sustainability. This methodology is constructed through a designerly approach which compiles components from design practice, design research and sustainable design theory. Design is identified as an approach to knowledge construction that can address ‘what next?’ kinds of research question like what could/should/ ought to be? rather than what is?, why it is? or what will be?. In addition, the thesis identifies sustainability research as asking a designerly kind of question about a kind of change for the better and providing an opportunity to share the ability to design with the wider socially oriented research community. The components and context are distilled into the concept, enabling design from within the system of the everyday, to form the framework for constructing a design-led methodology for sustainability. This conceptual framework is then developed through a thinking-by-doing process, incorporating participants from the community of Tumut, to develop the methodological outcome. The proposal of the design-led outcome defines and describes the methodology and guidelines are presented on how it can be used. The proposed design-led methodology, named Bigamatics, aims to contribute to the discourse in the field of design on research through design and in socially oriented research more generally on creative approaches to research. The implementation, application and testing of this methodology is left to future research.

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	Front Section: Title Page, Abstract, Tables of Contents & Preface p.i-- Title Page p.ii-- Candidate’s Declaration p.iii-- Abstract p.iv-- Table of Contents p.x-- List of Figures p.xiii-- Preface: Behind the Scenes p.xiv-- Personal Context p.xiv-- The Thesis Journey p.xvii-- Acknowledgments
	Chapter 1: Introduction p.3-- Terminology p.3-- Design, design & design p.4-- Socially Oriented Research p.4-- Sustainability p.6-- Context of the Study p.8-- Area of Investigation p.10-- Perceived Audience p.11-- Thesis Structure p.13-- Aims and Objectives of the Thesis p.13-- Aims p.14-- Objectives p.16-- Thesis Overview

	Chapter 2: The Brief p.19-- The Project p.19-- Specifications p.25-- Criteria p.26-- Epistemological Context: p.26-- Epistemology p.28-- Theoretical Perspective p.29-- Methodology p.31-- Methods p.33-- Procedure
	Chapter 3: Background Research p.36-- Historical Context p.41-- Design Practice p.41-- What is Design? p.42-- How is Design Done? p.43-- Thinking by Doing p.44-- Identity as Central p.45-- Fluidity of Meaning p.45-- Conversational p.46-- Iterative Steps p.49-- Playfulness p.49-- Praxis p.51-- Design Research p.51-- Research in Design p.52-- Three Modes of Design Research p.54-- Design-led Methods p.55-- Cultural Probes p.57-- Game Formats p.58-- Scenario Building p.59-- Participatory Approaches p.62-- Sustainable Design p.63-- Ecology and the Sustainability Context p.65-- The Ecology of the Artificial p.66-- How has Ecology been used? p.72-- Why was Ecology Employed? p.73-- Complexity p.75-- Wicked Problems p.79-- The Black Box and Conversation Theory p.82-- Systems Approach p.84-- Enabling Design p.87-- Socially Oriented Research Context p.92-- Methodological Associations p.93-- Social Research p.93-- Participatory Research p.94-- Action Research p.96-- Deliberative Democracy p.98-- Design Research p.98-- Critical Artefact Methodology p.99-- Matching Analysis Projection Synthesis (MAPS) p.100-- Institute of Design (ID) Chicago Approach p.103-- Addressing the Brief

	Chapter 4: Concept p.108-- Theoretical Components p.111-- An Allegory for Design Research p.112-- An Un-Natural World: The Designer as Tourist p.113-- Patterns p.115-- The Un-Natural World p.117-- The Tourist p.118-- The Designer p.119-- The Designer-as-Tourist p.123-- The Journey p.125-- Returning Home p.126-- Conceptualising Design Research p.129-- A Complex Model for Design-led Research p.129-- Three-Bodied Design p.132-- Co-Design p.136-- Culture of Living p.137-- A New Systems Metaphor p.141-- The Concept p.141-- Enabling Design from within the System of Everyday Life p.142-- Defining the Concept p.144-- Addressing the Brief

	Chapter 5: Concept Development p.150-- Identifying the Parts p.152-- Putting the Parts Together p.156-- Developing the Methodology p.158-- Project Tumut p.160-- Phase 1 p.161-- Method Design p.165-- Responses p.167-- Phase 2 p.168-- Method Design p.175-- Responses p.177-- Phase 3 p.178-- Method Design p.183-- Responses p.186-- Phase 4 p.188-- Method Design p.193-- Responses p.196-- Reflection p.196-- During Project Tumut p.201-- Limitations p.201-- Significance p.204-- Addressing the brief

	Chapter 6: Design Outcome p.210-- Naming the Methodology p.211-- Characteristic Features p.213-- Research Context p.214-- Approach p.215-- Structure p.217-- Methods and Operation p.218-- Participation and Collaboration p.221-- Methodological Considerations p.221-- Obstacles p.222-- Possible Configurations p.224-- Answering the Brief p.224-- Fulfilling the Specifications p.227-- Fulfilling the Criteria p.230-- Finalising the Outcome

	Chapter 7: Presentation p.234-- How? p.234-- Mock-up p.235-- About the Guide p.236-- Researcher’s Guide to Bigamatics: A Design-led Methodology p.265-- Why? p.267-- Concluding the Design Process
	Chapter 8: Conclusion p.270-- How can design be constructed as research for sustainability? p.273-- Reflection: Potential and Further Development p.275-- Contribution to Knowledge p.276-- Looking to the Future
	References List of books, papers, websites and conference proceedings referenced in the thesis.
	Apendix 1: The Poem The ‘Utopia’ by Lee Haywood
	Apendix 2: Profile of Tumut Map, Tumut shire & Indigenous community
	Apendix 3: Phase 1 in Project Tumut p.296-- Project Tumut Packs p.296-- Packaging p.297-- Project Details Fold-up Booklet p.299-- Phase 1 Information p.300-- D-zine p.305-- Other Components p.305-- Poster/Flyer p.306-- Signup sheet p.308-- Responses to Phase 1: D-zine p.308-- Participant 1 p.310-- Participant 2 p.312-- Participant 3

	Apendix 4: Phase 2 in Project Tumut p.316-- Tumut Project Packs p.317-- Packaging p.317-- Project Details Fold-up Booklet p.318-- Phase 2 Information p.319-- Sign-up sheet p.321-- As Time Goes By Activity Sheet p.324-- Everyday Wellbeing Activity Sheet p.328-- Sustainable Everyday Activity Sheet p.331-- Industrial Culture Jam! Activity Booklet p.335-- Updated D-zine p.341-- Everyday Wellbeing p.341-- Response 1 p.344-- Response 2 p.347-- Industrial Culture Jam! p.347-- Response 1 p.349-- Response 2 p.351-- Dzine! p.351-- Response 1 p.353-- As Time Goes By! p.353-- Response 1

	Apendix 5: Phase 3 in Project Tumut p.356-- Larry the Story-Tree Creature p.357-- The Storyscape Game p.357-- Guide Book p.369-- Cards p.369-- Wild Card p.369-- Old Story Card p.369-- New Story Card p.371-- Link + New Story Card p.373-- Link Card p.375-- Board Components p.375-- Link Sticker p.375-- New Story Tile p.375-- Old Story Tile p.378-- Story Leaf Responses p.383-- Storyscape Game Results p.384-- Storyscape X p.389-- Storyscape Y p.392-- Storyscape Z p.396-- Initial Analysis of Results

	Apendix 6: Phase 4 in Project Tumut p.400-- Future Visions for Tumut p.400-- Posters p.405-- Booklet p.417-- Feedback Sheet p.417-- Reply Paid Feedback Sheet for Booklet p.418-- Feedback Sheet p.421-- Feedback on Phase 4: Future Visions for Tumut p.421-- Response 1 p.422-- Response 2 p.422-- Response 3 p.423-- Response 4 p.423-- Response 5 p.424-- Response 6 p.424-- Response 7

	Glossary List of terms used and page reference to where in the thesis they are explained.
mock-up guidebook
	A Reseracher's Guide to Bigamatics A Design-led Methodology p.2-- How to use this Guide p.4-- Design-led p.6-- Bigamatics p.8-- The Context p.14-- Getting Started p.16-- Approach p.20-- Structure & Process p.22-- Operationalise p.24-- Research Design p.28-- Methods p.32-- Colaborative Potential p.33-- The Outcome p.34-- Tricks & Tips p.39-- Potential Hazards p.42-- Finding Out More p.50-- Glossary p.52-- References p.53-- About the Author

Viveka Turnbull Hocking & Richard Hocking ( 26 October, 2011 ) Studio Strezii
CONTACT: viveka@studiostrezii.com.au - PO Box 1066, Jindabyne, NSW 2627