Nicola Mitchell
Open Source, Communication and Collaboration: Open technology’s evolving relationship with design discourse.
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Open Source, Communication and Collaboration: Open technology’s evolving relationship with design discourse.
Open Source, Communication and Collaboration: Open technology’s evolving relationship with design discourse.
1. 'Open Source' is a critical essay that explores the shifting role of the designer, crediting advancements in open source technology as well as changing perceptions around collaboration and DIY culture as the main components of this change. The provided case studies illustrate how designers are responding to this current context through their role as facilitators rather than sole producers, and challenges designers to use this shifting perception as an advantage in their own positioning, as well as in the creation of sustainable practices within society.
2. The Brief: Summarize the commission you were given (or gave yourself). What was the context for this piece of writing, and what was the challenge posed to you? Where and when was it published? What is the approximate circulation of this publication? Who is the audience?2. The writing was the result of a critical writing assignment, where we were asked to formulate an argument based on the topic ‘Human/Non-human Relations and Communication’. Design academics in the form of my university professor and tutors were the intended audience and the essay was submitted for marking on the 21st of September 2013. However I believe that 'Open Source' is a pertinent piece of writing for all designers who value knowledge as a tool to get ahead- both those with experience looking to stay relevant and those just getting into what is an ever changing field.
3. The Intent: What point of view did you bring to the piece? What did you hope would happen as a result of your piece?3. I intended 'Open Source' to be a relevant and well-rounded account of the western world’s current design climate. Through using a range of examples and addressing both their strengths and weaknesses, my aim was to provide an insight into how designers are functioning within society in a manner that is both straightforward and thought provoking. I consider Open Source to be a summary of the different factors at work within the perceived role of the designer, arming those of us trying to be of value in such a context with a starting point in which to do so.
4. The Process: Describe the rigor that informed your piece of writing. (Research process, sources, reporting, fact checking etc., as applicable.)4. The research process for this essay was extensive, as it required by its very nature a range of resources that explore the topic of collaboration from a multitude of angles. I used texts I had previously come across in a range of fields such as Media Studies, Sociology, Design History, Marketing and Critical Design and used my previous interest in how these disciplines cross over into one another to fuel the topic of the essay and present a well rounded informative piece. The writing process also involved deconstructing each source to understand its Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, a marketing framework I used in order to present an argument that was not biased or ethnocentric. I focused on using qualitative data in order to provide relatable evidence from different perspectives to support my claims as a whole. I also spent time creating a colour coded infographic that ran along side the writing, helping to give a reader a quick sense of how different industries inform one another to make up the context of the modern day designer.
5. The Value: How does your piece of writing earn its keep in the world?5. The value of 'Open Source' lies within its drawing together a range of sources, effectively replicating its own collaborative sentiment within its form. It serves as a starting point for designers wishing to inform themselves of the complex dynamic that is constantly transforming their role and perceived value, and challenges them to create value in doing so. Most importantly, while it is currently relevant within a specific context, that being a shifting perception of the designer as a facilitator and co creator rather than a privileged individual, 'Open Source' will continue to serve as a reminder that the role of the designer is constantly in a state of flux, perhaps the only ‘fact’ of design, and one that all designers would do well to keep in mind.
This was a timely, well-reported, well-sourced and nicely thought-out piece on how something a profession such as design—something so often identified with single individuals—could be crowdsourced, and has been for quite awhile. A solid piece, though the writing was a little bit dry in parts.