3. 1st phase 2nd phase 3rd phase
early twentieth century
a language of form that
was plastic or mutable
a visual syntax
disseminated rationally
and universally
“isms” — Suprematism,
Futurism, Constructivism,
de Stijl, ad infinitum
the 1960s
meaning-making,
symbolic value, semantic
dimension,
narrative potential
meaning presented by
designers-as-authors to
audiences
mid-1990s
effects on users,
pragmatic and
programmatic constraints,
rhetorical impact,
facilitate social interactions
relational design
performative, pragmatic,
programmatic, process-
oriented, open-ended,
experiential and participatory
4. 1st phase 2nd phase 3rd phase
early twentieth century
a language of form that
was plastic or mutable
a visual syntax
disseminated rationally
and universally
“isms” — Suprematism,
Futurism, Constructivism,
de Stijl, ad infinitum
the 1960s
meaning-making,
symbolic value, semantic
dimension,
narrative potential
meaning presented by
designers-as-authors to
audiences
mid-1990s
effects on users,
pragmatic and
programmatic constraints,
rhetorical impact,
facilitate social interactions
relational design
performative, pragmatic,
programmatic, process-
oriented, open-ended,
experiential and participatory
form content context
syntax semantics pragmatics
5. 3rd phase
relational design
audience becomes an actual
user(s)
“end-user” becomes
the designers
constraints as guide
to design
the creation of systems
open-ended frameworks
“command-control”
to “if-then”
systems to generate
designs
6. 3rd phase
relational design
audience becomes an actual
user(s)
“end-user” becomes
the designers
constraints as guide
to design
the creation of systems
open-ended frameworks
“command-control”
to “if-then”
systems to generate
designs
designs for
making designs
7. 3rd phase
relational design
audience becomes an actual
user(s)
“end-user” becomes
the designers
constraints as guide
to design
the creation of systems
open-ended frameworks
“command-control”
to “if-then”
systems to generate
designs
8. 3rd phase
relational design
audience becomes an actual
user(s)
“end-user” becomes
the designers
constraints as guide
to design
the creation of systems
open-ended frameworks
“command-control”
to “if-then”
systems to generate
designs
designs for
making designs
With the development and aid
of AIs and technology, how
will the design field evolve in
the next few decades?
13. Why Design is Not Problem Solving +Design Thinking Isn’t Always the Answer?
So how should the industry define itself?
designer≠problem solver
design as process（V） ≠ problem solving
goal:
advocate experiment and critique in design process
focus on the whole system （✓）
focus on the nail-shaped problem（✕）
question:
As designers, how can we start the
practice of valuing ourselves as a
experimenter rather than problem
solver who just focus on a tight
problem?
