Collisions, Design & The Swerve
- Submitting institution
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University of the Arts, London
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- 235
- Type
- C - Chapter in book
- DOI
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10.1007/978-3-319-73302-9_5
- Book title
- Advancements in Philosophy of Design
- Publisher
- Springer International Publishing AG
- ISBN
- 978-3-319-73301-2
- Open access status
- -
- Month of publication
- March
- Year of publication
- 2018
- URL
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- Supplementary information
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- Request cross-referral to
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- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
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1
- Research group(s)
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-
- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- This co-authored book chapter evaluates philosophical work in order to present the concept and practice of ‘collision’ as an important aspect of all creativity.
Research critically evaluates the philosophies of Lucretius and Serres in relation to different examples of design practice (notably architecture, landscape design, design research and graphic design) in ways that are unconventional in the world of design philosophy. This world is dominated by phenomenologists (Fry, Willis).
From this synthesis, four directions for the creative ‘swerving and colliding’ in design are proposed: mapping collisions; diagramming practice; searching out the blocking of randomness; and becoming fans of collisions. These figures are proposed as theoretical frameworks that enable different kinds of thinking and practising.
Methodologically, the chapter exemplifies what it proposes: a way of practising creative, ontologically focused philosophy as collisions. Both writers have developed a way of speaking and writing philosophy together over a number of decades, which works less with philosophers as heroic originators of thought and more with the creative production and circulation of philosophical concepts. The writing developed from a discussion of Lucretius’ repurposing of Epicurus’ atomism and set it to collide with other concepts: Serres on nondeterminist dynamics and Flusser on habit. These thoughts were individually developed and then brought together into a shared writing space where each writer had a chance to work and rework the concepts in question. Finally, a number of examples from practices of designing entered to illustrate specific concepts and then map the directions for ‘swerving and colliding’ proposed. Lastly, both writers have been able to follow their own directions from the collisions that this joint work provided, as well as find new ways to come together again (in the preparation, editing and authoring of a volume on ‘Anticipation Studies’).
- Author contribution statement
- -
- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
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