Jonas Löwgren writes: "However, there is at least one question I would like to ask Jim from within a traditional-design perspective.
A general problem in developing design ability is the relative inefficiency of the learning process. Apprenticing and peripheral participation is the most common strategy and it generally takes a long time to reach expert levels of experience and performance. Does the RED approach contain any provisions for increasing the pace of learning? Do you work systematically with product reviews and criticism in your teams? Do you have procedures for debriefing and knowledge sharing after project milestones and completions? How are you working with conceptual tools for articulation of practical knowing, such as patterns or experiential qualities? I can't seem to find any references to learning and scaffolding of expertise development in your posts so far." My responses to Jonas Löwgren (Part 1 of 2): Jonas makes some very thoughtful observations and raises a number of important questions. These are very helpful in delving deeper. Q: Does the RED approach contain any provisions for increasing the pace of learning? A: In the same way that Marine Basic Training produces a lot of physical and mental conditioning in a relatively short time frame, so do the crucibles of RED consulting projects present young apprentice designers with much larger demands than are found in typical structured corporate settings. There are always, in the projects I've been involved with and that I've observed, frequent group review and brainstorming and whiteboarding. It's very important that the thought processes of the seniors take place in front of and in collaboration with the junior members (if a team setting). Often projects will begin with the review (individually and as a group) of an existing product, software, service, or system. Seniors usually start out by establishing (from experience) some starting directions and ideas, and using this as an opportunity to explain in depth past similar experiences and designs. We will often as part of this process bring out extensive past project documentation and show what parts may be similar, what aspects may differ, and discuss in great depth the lessons learned. Dialog is constant with young designers. In our experience, some young designers merely watch and take direction to begin with. As time goes on, it's also common for particular talents and capabilities to emerge, and those are reinforced and used as part of how we divvy up the developmental responsibilities. Junior teammembers are compelled to defend their ideas, and I believe the best master designers are very respectful toward these, and seek to draw them out and challenge them to both think bigger at times, and other times focus in. RED projects are like gyms. Designers that work on them are exercised in their skills, and in broad-based consultancies, they're exposed to a wide range of products, software, services, and systems. So it's like cross-training. RED apprentices, junior designers, associates, and seniors are always stretching and pushing. Because the situations and environments that RED tackles require a lot be accomplished in a short period of time. (Actually, over the past twenty years, the average time frame of a design project has steadily and dramatically shortened. However the complexity of the projects has often grown larger. In other words, many projects seem nearly impossible. This is where RED goes to work and succeeds - in our documented experiences.) It is my opinion and observation that designers who work with experienced RED practitioners and teams grow faster and more broadly and integrative in their skills and experiences than they might in other, more constrained, structured, managed and process-oriented design environments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=37626
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