Is Design as a practice completely outside the language of Care?
Justin Magee, Mah Rana,
Research output: Chapter in Book
Magee, J., & Rana, M. (2020). Is Design as a practice completely outside the language of Care? In P. Rodgers , C. Bremner , & G. Innella (Eds.), Does Design Care...?! Head to Head Debates (pp. 103-115). Lancaster. Lancaster University
Research output: Chapter in Book
Magee, J., & Rana, M. (2020). Is Design as a practice completely outside the language of Care? In P. Rodgers , C. Bremner , & G. Innella (Eds.), Does Design Care...?! Head to Head Debates (pp. 103-115). Lancaster. Lancaster University
Abstract
At the core of this title question, we face the challenges of inter-disciplinary collaboration between design and care. Furthermore, these academic and professional subjects each have multiple sub-disciplines, which are often disconnected on many levels. A third element is the diversity of the people involved to whom the care is intended. Design for Care is inherently complex and may be viewed theoretically as a Wicked Problem (Rittel & Webber, 1973). This article will navigate through the Head-to-Head discussion between a dementia-carer, psychologist and designer with an experienced product designer and researcher who has worked in care and health related projects (M. Rana & J. Magee, 2019, personal communication, 1st July). They consider both the harmonious and dichotomous relationship. Their independent viewpoints find commonality and lead to adapted models for proposed engagement across sectors and disciplines. In immediate response they cite two points of reference. “Design is people” (Jane Jacobs) “Good care is about people” (WHO, 2008)
At the core of this title question, we face the challenges of inter-disciplinary collaboration between design and care. Furthermore, these academic and professional subjects each have multiple sub-disciplines, which are often disconnected on many levels. A third element is the diversity of the people involved to whom the care is intended. Design for Care is inherently complex and may be viewed theoretically as a Wicked Problem (Rittel & Webber, 1973). This article will navigate through the Head-to-Head discussion between a dementia-carer, psychologist and designer with an experienced product designer and researcher who has worked in care and health related projects (M. Rana & J. Magee, 2019, personal communication, 1st July). They consider both the harmonious and dichotomous relationship. Their independent viewpoints find commonality and lead to adapted models for proposed engagement across sectors and disciplines. In immediate response they cite two points of reference. “Design is people” (Jane Jacobs) “Good care is about people” (WHO, 2008)
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Original language:
Title of publication: Editors: Place of Publication: Pages: Publication status: |
English
Does Design Care...?! Head to Head Debates Paul Rodgers , Craig Bremner , Giovanni Innella Lancaster University 103-115 Published - 13 Jan 2020 |
B is for Bed.
Mah Rana
Research Output: Illustration and text.
Research Output: Illustration and text.
Rana, M. (2019). An Illustrated* A to Z for the Design of Care: B is for Bed, . In P. Rodgers, C. Bremner, & G. Innella (Eds.), An Illustrated* A to Z for the Design of Care (pp. 14,15 ). Lancaster: Lancaster University.
Abstract
This illustrated A to Z for the Design of Care book was written collaboratively by nearly 50 design researchers and practitioners during the Does Design Care…? [2] workshop held at Chiba University, Japan, 1–3 July 2019.
Does Design Care…? [2] extended the explorations of design thought and action of the first Does Design Care…? workshop held at Imagination, Lancaster University in September 2017 that investigated different ways to conceptualise, provoke, contest and disrupt care.
Care is not usually a word that we hear when we talk about design and when the word care has been used it is usually in a context warning designers to act carefully rather than carelessly. Still good advice, but as the Illustrated A to Z for the Design of Care book shows, design has dived headlong into completely new fields of care – particularly social care and health care – at exactly the same time as the service of Care has been instrumentalised so it can be Capitalised and extrapolated so it can be served in equal parts excessively, efficiently and inefficiently. In a circular mix of remarks Bifo Berardi, referring to Yuval Harari (who must have been thinking of Foucault) states that “Twentieth century medicine aimed to heal the sick. Twenty-first century medicine is increasingly aiming to upgrade the healthy” Harari explains that “Healing the sick was an egalitarian project. … In contrast, upgrading the healthy is an elitist project”. Updating Foucault’s notion that diagnosing what is ill is always equally about enforcing what is healthy.
As a result the challenges in care systems have become intractable. There have been divide and conquer approaches to responsibility and accountability in care that act to cripple our ability to engage with the speculative and systemic approaches that design offers. Imagination has been cauterized by a risk-averse, Neo-liberal culture – the same culture that also profits enormously from turning care into a transaction.
This illustrated A to Z for the Design of Care might help guide design out of these intractable and entangled challenges and set it on the path to reconcile the contradictory needs to abstract the gesture of care (its theories) while it grounds the bodiliness of that same gesture (its applications).
This illustrated A to Z for the Design of Care book was written collaboratively by nearly 50 design researchers and practitioners during the Does Design Care…? [2] workshop held at Chiba University, Japan, 1–3 July 2019.
Does Design Care…? [2] extended the explorations of design thought and action of the first Does Design Care…? workshop held at Imagination, Lancaster University in September 2017 that investigated different ways to conceptualise, provoke, contest and disrupt care.
Care is not usually a word that we hear when we talk about design and when the word care has been used it is usually in a context warning designers to act carefully rather than carelessly. Still good advice, but as the Illustrated A to Z for the Design of Care book shows, design has dived headlong into completely new fields of care – particularly social care and health care – at exactly the same time as the service of Care has been instrumentalised so it can be Capitalised and extrapolated so it can be served in equal parts excessively, efficiently and inefficiently. In a circular mix of remarks Bifo Berardi, referring to Yuval Harari (who must have been thinking of Foucault) states that “Twentieth century medicine aimed to heal the sick. Twenty-first century medicine is increasingly aiming to upgrade the healthy” Harari explains that “Healing the sick was an egalitarian project. … In contrast, upgrading the healthy is an elitist project”. Updating Foucault’s notion that diagnosing what is ill is always equally about enforcing what is healthy.
As a result the challenges in care systems have become intractable. There have been divide and conquer approaches to responsibility and accountability in care that act to cripple our ability to engage with the speculative and systemic approaches that design offers. Imagination has been cauterized by a risk-averse, Neo-liberal culture – the same culture that also profits enormously from turning care into a transaction.
This illustrated A to Z for the Design of Care might help guide design out of these intractable and entangled challenges and set it on the path to reconcile the contradictory needs to abstract the gesture of care (its theories) while it grounds the bodiliness of that same gesture (its applications).
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Title of publication
Editors Place of Publication Publisher Pages Number of pages ISBN (Print) Publication status Event Workshop Workshop Country City Period |
An Illustrated* A to Z for the Design of Care
Paul Rodgers, Craig Bremner, Giovanni Innella Lancaster Lancaster University 14,15 118 9781862203662 Published - 2019 Does Design Care…? [2] Workshop - Chiba University, Chiba, Tokyo, Japan Duration: 1 Jul 2019 → 3 Jul 2019 https://www.designresearchforchange.co.uk/does-design-care-2/ Does Design Care…? [2] Workshop Japan Chiba, Tokyo 01/07/2019 - 03/07/2019 |
