---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sam Ladner <samlad...@gmail.com> Date: Sun, Jan 3, 2010 at 11:36 PM Subject: Re: [anthrodesign] Norman replies to Nussbaum To: anthrodes...@yahoogroups.com
Hi Arvind, > *scratches head* >> so, according to norman, we needed healthcare after doctors were invented? >> or transportation after wheels were invented? or democracy after governments >> were invented? >> >> I have to agree as well. I confess I don't have very strong opinions on this post because I think it partly was in the spirit of provocation, and not passionate belief. If that were its intent, it certainly worked! When I think about the thesis that true disruptive innovation comes from radical designs in engineering, all I can think about is Whyte's ridiculous thesis that the invention of the stirrup changed the political economic history of Europe. This is technological determinism, plain and simple. What Norman misses (and I'm pretty sure he really knows to be true) is that disruptive innovation is not about the artifact itself but the temporal, social, economic, and political context of the innovation. This is what Latour meant when he said that artifacts are IRREDUCIBLE to any other artifact. This is what Heidegger meant when he said that we are products of our "attachments" and "involvements." Can you "design" a particular social, economic, and political context for a new innovation to be taken up within? Absolutely! That is what good ethnography does is understand the social, economic and political space. Good ethnographers understand how that space functions, and how artifacts fit within that space. Simple "design research" on the other hand, looks at the artifact and its social context. Its conclusions are typically focused primarily on the artifact's design, not that of the social context. So it's valuable, yes, but effective? All encompassing? Disruptive? Sometimes, maybe with a little luck. I personally am way more interested in designing the social context, through the use of building social capital, for example, or by empowering people with little voice in social / design charettes. -- ~~~~~ Sam Ladner, PhD Sociologist Toronto __._,_.___ Reply to sender<samlad...@gmail.com?subject=re:+%5Banthrodesign%5D+Norman+replies+to+Nussbaum>| Reply to group<anthrodes...@yahoogroups.com?subject=re:+%5Banthrodesign%5D+Norman+replies+to+Nussbaum> Messages in this topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anthrodesign/message/8251;_ylc=X3oDMTM0cmM2b3Y1BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzc2NjUyMzAEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDgzNDQ5BG1zZ0lkAzgyNjMEc2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDdnRwYwRzdGltZQMxMjYyNTMzMDMwBHRwY0lkAzgyNTE->( 4) Recent Activity: - New Members<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anthrodesign/members;_ylc=X3oDMTJmc2tqYXRmBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzc2NjUyMzAEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDgzNDQ5BHNlYwN2dGwEc2xrA3ZtYnJzBHN0aW1lAzEyNjI1MzMwMzA-?o=6> 4 Visit Your Group<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anthrodesign;_ylc=X3oDMTJlOHMzMnZyBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzc2NjUyMzAEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDgzNDQ5BHNlYwN2dGwEc2xrA3ZnaHAEc3RpbWUDMTI2MjUzMzAzMA--> Start a New Topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anthrodesign/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJldmhiZTFnBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzc2NjUyMzAEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDgzNDQ5BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA250cGMEc3RpbWUDMTI2MjUzMzAzMA--> MARKETPLACE Going Green: Your Yahoo! Groups resource for green living<http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=14kqhtolc/M=493064.13814333.13821539.13298430/D=groups/S=1705083449:MKP1/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1262540230/L=/B=KSOahkPDhE8-/J=1262533030871150/K=BIVFUipSe0G5TrYLa4lmHA/A=5922843/R=0/SIG=11ckn2mo6/*http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/green/> [image: Yahoo! Groups]<http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJkNTNsMmlvBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzc2NjUyMzAEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDgzNDQ5BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA2dmcARzdGltZQMxMjYyNTMzMDMw> Switch to: Text-Only<anthrodesign-traditio...@yahoogroups.com?subject=change+delivery+format:+Traditional>, Daily Digest<anthrodesign-dig...@yahoogroups.com?subject=email+delivery:+Digest>• Unsubscribe <anthrodesign-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com?subject=unsubscribe> • Terms of Use <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> . __,_._,___ -- @jarodtang http://designforuse.blogspot.com/ ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
