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Full Paper Due: 31 May 2010 Full Paper Due: Extended to 20 March 2010 Special Issue on Integrating Systems Thinking and Design Action Full Paper Due: 31 May 2010 Call for Papers.jpg) The scope of design has grown from a narrow focus on the function and aesthetics of objects to a broader focus on creating intentional change in society and culture through the creation of new products, services, systems, and environments. As part of this shift of focus, design inquiry is increasingly being adopted in a growing number of disciplines as a path toward innovative progress on real issues. Furthermore, as design continues to address ever more complex problems, its expanding scope appears to be increasingly overlapping with systems design. Therefore, we at the International Journal of Design believe it is an ideal time to once again consider the relationship between systems thinking and design action. Systems thinking focuses on understanding the relationships between constituent elements and the resulting qualities of an emergent whole as it interacts in any given situation with larger contexts and environments. Design is about actively and creatively proposing and critiquing new sets of relationships by composing newly designed wholes, and then iteratively refining these wholes with the intention of improving the state of the world. For example, consider sustainability: a “wicked” problem, made up of factors ranging from how products are designed, produced, and delivered, to factors of materiality, reuse and disposal, including ordinary people’s habits and values, as well as issues of public policy and government. Any sustainability-related design must thus relate to all of these aspects while not being paralyzed by the inherent complexity involved. A systems approach could provide a holistic means for revealing potential ways of taking all of these factors into account. Systems thinking as an approach to complex, real-world problems has been developed theoretically over recent decades by thinkers such as C. West Churchman, Russel L. Ackoff, Horst Rittel, Donella Meadows, Jay W. Forrester, Stafford Beer, Margaret Mead, Bela H. Banathy, and others. During this time, progress has also been made in developing a similar theoretical foundation for a design approach. Now is thus an ideal time to examine how these two intellectual traditions and approaches relate to one other. For this special issue of the International Journal of Design, we are seeking contributions that will explore how a systems approach can be integrated into design thinking and action. We are also looking for examinations into the present state of systems thinking as it relates to design. Suggested Research Themes There are several potential research themes that we envision being part of this special issue, though we are open to other contributions as well. These potential themes are:
Schedule
Submission of PapersThe authors are encouraged to e-mail an abstract of no more than 800 words to forlizzi@cs.cmu.edu by March 31 to receive a quick evaluation on suitability of a proposal. Manuscripts should be prepared with the template file and guidelines found at the AuthorGuidelines page. Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. A double-blind review process will be employed for this special issue. Manuscripts should be sent through the online submission page. Authors should choose "Special Issue on Designing for Systems Thinking and Design Action" as the Journal Section when submitting papers. Special Issue Editors
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Special Issue on Designing for Aesthetics of Interaction Full Paper Due: Extended to 20 March 2010 Call for Papers.jpg) Now that the world of HCI has united with the world of product design, and computers are no longer merely a means for doing our jobs but also an integral part of our lives, one might question the appropriateness of functionality and efficiency as the main guiding principles for design. The spectrum of efficiency, productivity and, in general, “getting things done” has been enriched by other values, such as those represented by curiosity, playfulness, intimacy and creativity. User experience and the aesthetics of that experience are becoming increasingly paramount. Furthermore, when we look at the abundance of interactive products on the market, we can see a shift in aesthetic focus, moving from aesthetics of appearance to aesthetics of interaction. Can designers design products that not only look attractive at first sight, but are also beautiful to use? What makes for aesthetics of interaction, how can we design for such an interaction, and how can we model and study the interactive experiences that are central to such an approach? Some more specific questions might be: What is the role of embodiment and narratives in the interactive experience? Does aesthetics of interaction require a phenomenological point of view? Can one study aesthetics of interaction without using one’s hands, that is, without actually designing and building experiential prototypes? The field of Aesthetics of Interaction is indeed emerging, and emerging in many different directions, with different definitions, different models, different implementations. This special issue of the International Journal of Design aims to reflect on the status quo and to find new paths toward a maturity of this area of research. We are seeking high-quality, original papers that address conceptual, theoretical, methodological and practical issues of designing for aesthetics of interaction—papers that will serve to enhance the overall body of interaction design knowledge. Possible topics include:
Schedule
Submission of PapersManuscripts should be prepared with the template file and guidelines found at the AuthorGuidelines page. Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. A double-blind review process will be employed for this special issue. Manuscripts should be sent through the online submission page. Authors should choose "Special Issue on Designing for Aesthetics of Interaction" as the Journal Section when submitting papers. Special Issue Editors
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