Recently, I stubbled upon an interesting article critiquing the very values of practice based research, specifically, research through design. Prof. Terry Rosenberg in “Designs on Critical Practice?” describes how design and other creative practices are being forced into academia’s “mould” to as he puts it “fit” into the epistemology of the sciences scholarship. I found this really an interesting article because for the first time, I found someone really critiquing the methods I and the “practice based research cult” have been running. Re-freshing.
One point that interested me in particular is how Rosenberg states that he is unconvinced about the distinction between knowledge about design and knowledge through design. He cites Clive Dilnot’s statement that we need to think about knowledge through and about design in order to see its “space” in academe. What are the epistemological limits to knowledge through design. When we practice, what are the boundaries that say “hey there, that’s knowledge” does there really need to be? There are definitely two different definitions of research “through” and “about” design. But in the practice of “practice based research” the work you produce and through its production and reflection, discoveries are made and coupled with formulated theories, principles and models knowledge is produced. If through the design process we are using knowledge about design to aid in the formulation of the project, that knowledge that we are acquiring seems to me could be the same type of knowledge that we deliver in the end. Speaking in terms about design research, the “about”, “for”, and “through” may equal “about.” I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer in this. Research through practice to be deemed fit for academia seem that it needs to tie theory into the process and final delivery. Dilnot states that in order for knowledge through design to become knowledge there needs to be a translation. An exegesis. Does it really? I’ve seen projects at a final examination that “speak for themselves” and demonstrate the knowledge acquired.
More later…
