The document discusses Christopher Alexander and his influence on different fields. It notes that while interaction designers and computer scientists love Alexander, architects have a more complicated relationship with him. It explores some of Alexander's ideas and influence, as well as the debate he sparked with architects. The document aims to untangle Alexander's influences and architecture's love-hate relationship with his work.

1. LOVING AND HATING
CHRISTOPHERALEXANDER
molly@girlwonder.com
girlwonder.com
activesocialplastic.com
twitter: @mollysteenson

2. CHRISTOPHERALEXANDER IS DIFFICULT

3. INTERACTION DESIGNERS
AND COMPUTER SCIENTISTS

4. INTERACTION DESIGNERS
AND COMPUTER SCIENTISTS
LOVE

5. INTERACTION DESIGNERS
AND COMPUTER SCIENTISTS
LOVE
CHRISTOPHERALEXANDER

6. ARCHITECTS?

7. ARCHITECTS? NOT SO MUCH.

8. ARCHITECTS KIND OF HATE
CHRISTOPHERALEXANDER.

9. ALAN COOPER
LOVES
CHRISTOPHERA
LEXANDER.

10. HE IS, AFTER
ALL, AN
INTERACTION
DESIGNER.

11. PETER
EISENMAN?
NOT
WHATSOEVER.

12. (HE’S AN
ARCHITECT.)

13. ALAN COOPER PETER
LOVES EISENMAN?
CHRISTOPHERA NOT
LEXANDER. WHATSOEVER.

14. ALEXANDER AND EISENMAN
HAVE A COMMON LINEAGE

15. ALEXANDER EISENMAN

16. •Studied architecture at Cambridge
•Formal logic & generative systems
•Moving to the US in the same time
•Eisenman hated Alexander’s dissertation
•A vicious debate at Harvard in 1983

19. ―Design today has reached the stage
where sheer inventiveness can no
longer sustain it.‖
—Christopher Alexander, 1963

21. BART

23. (A FAMILIAR
INTERACTIONDESIGN TOOL?)

25. Christopher Alexander and
artificial intelligence (AI)?

26. MARVIN MINSKY

27. ―I believe…that we are on the
threshold of an era that will be
strongly influence, and quite
possibly dominated, by
intelligent problem-solving

28. SO WHY DO ARCHITECTS
HATE
CHRISTOPHERALEXANDER?

29. ―The biggest obstacle to
improved design standards is
the obsolescence of designers
themselves.‖
–Christopher Alexander & Serge Chermayeff

30. ―Monument and doghouse alike bear the
dreadful imprint of self-appointed
genius or just plain incompetence.‖
–Christopher Alexander & Serge
Chermayeff

31. IT’S ALSO APPARENT WHY
INTERACTION AND SYSTEM
DESIGNERS REALLY LIKE HIM

32. I’M NOT SURE
WHERE I STAND,
TO BE HONEST

33. CHRISTOPHERALEXANDER IS DIFFICULT

34. …BUT HIS DESIGN SYSTEMS
STILL FASCINATE ME

35. AND THAT’S WHY I’M
UNTANGLING HIS INFLUENCES
AND ARCHITECTURE’S LOVE-
HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM

36. molly wrightsteenson
molly@girlwonder.com
girlwonder.com
activesocialplastic.com
twitter: @mollysteenson