Visual Shifts
Asynchronous Session
The Climate Change Communication Research for Action as a Design Issue View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Manuela Maia
Climate change communication studies how individuals and groups develop and share knowledge about climate and the ways they can be moved to act. To make the use of this knowledge viable in communication solutions capable of impacting audiences the applications of this knowledge in the real world rest on three dimensions: ability to associate thoughts, abductive reasoning and creative collaboration. Although there are conditions for effective communication, nevertheless the key connections between scattered pieces, revealed by research, are like a puzzle waiting for a piece that fits together to manage the existing knowledge workflow and identify its priorities. We reflect on the contribution of design to realizing the missing connection based on the nature of design cognition. In design practice, the cognitive resources used to produce meaning in the creation of visual communication solutions are the same used in visual exploration to support the definition of a problem. Design processes are intensive in information and knowledge involved in the definition, configuration and construction of solutions. Starting from scientific knowledge about the climate, for its sharing with different audiences, seeking to produce an impact on the capacity to change behavior, design can configure the image, in its different forms, either as a composition of a message or as a frame of knowledge on climate change usable to trigger action. Eliminating the risk of simplifying knowledge is the biggest challenge in practice context. The opportunity to apply knowledge about climate change communication is an opportunity to achieve impacts that cannot be lost.
Exploring Local Circular Design Strategies for the 9Rs of Circular Economy in Turkey: Insights from Designers' Perspectives View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Gizem Hediye Eren, Seda Canoglu, Şule Ak, Aysu C. Yılmaz Barış
This research explores the potential ways of integrating the 9Rs of the Circular Economy (Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose, Recover, Recycle, and Rethink) within Turkey's design practices. The circular economy promotes resource optimization and waste reduction by encouraging the reuse and recycling of products and materials, a pivotal concept for sustainable growth. As a developing nation, Turkey navigates the dual challenge of financial constraints and the opportunity presented by its rich tapestry of traditional practices that resonate with circular principles. While developed countries, endowed with extensive resources, grapple with shifting from linear consumption models to the circular economy, this research explores Turkey's potential to integrate circular design into its developmental framework. The research explores ways of aligning circular design principles with real-world practices and to propose sustainable local/global approaches for Turkey by taking advantage of the valuable perspectives of local designers at various stages of the product life cycle. While foundational understanding is sourced from existing literature on circular economy and its potential adoption in developing countries, the core emphasis lies on primary data collection through discussions with designers, particularly within the context of Turkey. Participatory workshops and design charrettes tailored for designers would foster knowledge exchange on the 9Rs' application in design by providing a holistic understanding of the landscape. Ultimately, this proposal offers insights into the evolving practice of circular design in Turkey, aspiring to contribute to the broader dialogue on sustainable development in a global context, serving policymakers, businesses, and communities alike.
Perceiving Architecture Design: A Philosophical, Psychological, and Neuroscientific Paradigm View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Ashish Saxena, Rachna Khare
Architectural thinking and design cognition are topics of interest for researchers and are widely explored in design studies today. The dichotomy between thinking versus experience, deliberate versus spontaneous, conscious versus unconscious, cognitive versus affective, and perception versus emotions are subjects of design cognition discussions. Psychology explains the mind processes in an environment whereas with the latest technological progress, neuroscience provides physiological validation and neurological insights about the cognitive functioning of the brain. The comprehension of philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience can provide better clarity and a detailed explanation of the phenomenology behind architectural thinking and experience. The paper identifies common cognitive dimensions of design that explain the phenomenon behind thinking and experience applicable to architecture design based on philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience. Philosophy of art and architecture, psychology of design-related cognition, and neurological functioning of the brain were studied from the perspective of design experience. The literature review-based research further analyses parallel theories of philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience concerning architecture design cognition. The study identifies and discusses the dimensions common to experience and thinking architecture design. The paper proposes a cyclic diagram of co-relationships among design dimensions explaining the phenomenology behind architectural design thinking and its relationship with design experience touching upon the dichotomy of several subjects frequently discussed in design research. The theoretical framework based on philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience brings a comprehensive understanding of architectural design thinking and experience, and their relationship applicable to design pedagogy, user experience, design empathy, and phenomenology.
Teaching the Basis of Architectural Knowledge in the Early Period of Architectural Education: An Assessment of SOrg106 View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Guliz Ozorhon, Burçin Mızrak Bilen, Orhan Hacihasanoglu, Gizem Efendioğlu, Gülbin Lekesiz, Hande Tunç
This study discusses the position and methodology of the SOrg 106 course designed to provide students with the basic principles of architectural knowledge through questioning in the early stage of education, with examples from the course process and productions. The scope of SOrg 106 is defined by fundamental topics in all buildings, which guide and even trigger design processes, making the building habitable. The fundamental skills targeted by the course include thinking about the relationship between architecture and users, understanding and experiencing the program/function/scheme processes, analyzing circulation and related spatial patterns, and interpreting building typology and spatial requirements dependent on building typologies. The course includes architectural knowledge, ergonomics, analysis, synthesis, and research, interacting with theoretical, applied, and research applications. In the first part of the course, these topics are explained with theoretical foundations and numerous examples, while in the second part, small designs experience is offered to transform the acquired knowledge into skills. Additionally, students conduct research, allowing them to analyze and evaluate all the topics encountered in the course about a specific building and gain experience in systematically organizing and presenting their work. This study examines the relationship between the fundamental skills the course aims to target and the course outcomes. Evaluation by instructors elucidates the problems and potential of the course structure. This evaluation contributes to analyzing a course in the early stages of architectural education and facilitates the development of future studies and alternative strategies.
