Comments on: The Need for Collaboration: Design Professionals are a Few Amongst Many http://urbanomnibus.net/2009/12/the-need-for-collaboration/ Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:14:43 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Jeff Maki http://urbanomnibus.net/2009/12/the-need-for-collaboration/comment-page-1/#comment-6017 Jeff Maki Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:11:39 +0000 http://urbanomnibus.net/?p=11357#comment-6017 Jack, I think you're right on here--and know that the same issues come up with any change, be it technological or organizational (those being the ones I'm more familiar with through my own work). If New York has taught me one thing, it's definitely that knowing people in the right places is everything. And I emphasize that the "right places" ranges from the secretary at the DOB, to the IT group at your work, to the mayor. The more, the better... Jack, I think you’re right on here–and know that the same issues come up with any change, be it technological or organizational (those being the ones I’m more familiar with through my own work).

If New York has taught me one thing, it’s definitely that knowing people in the right places is everything. And I emphasize that the “right places” ranges from the secretary at the DOB, to the IT group at your work, to the mayor. The more, the better…

]]> By: Leni Schwendinger http://urbanomnibus.net/2009/12/the-need-for-collaboration/comment-page-1/#comment-5542 Leni Schwendinger Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:17:03 +0000 http://urbanomnibus.net/?p=11357#comment-5542 Mr. Conviser makes salient points about good-will, community outreach and political overtures which pave the road to public architecture and landscapes. Also, the design professionals' collaboration is paramount for creative interpretation of the community desires from all angles. Our lighting design firm, Leni Schwendinger Light Projects, is codifying our design methodology to facilitate our collaborations with fellow professionals. One would think that collaborations with our peers would be simple and understood - but in fact real peer-to-peer design is not the norm. Working with communities, agencies, and design commissions - and bringing those ideas to the table with architects,landscape architects, engineers and other professionals - is exciting and creative with workable methodologies and expectations! Mr. Conviser makes salient points about good-will, community outreach and political overtures which pave the road to public architecture and landscapes. Also, the design professionals’ collaboration is paramount for creative interpretation of the community desires from all angles. Our lighting design firm, Leni Schwendinger Light Projects, is codifying our design methodology to facilitate our collaborations with fellow professionals.

One would think that collaborations with our peers would be simple and understood – but in fact real peer-to-peer design is not the norm.

Working with communities, agencies, and design commissions – and bringing those ideas to the table with architects,landscape architects, engineers and other professionals – is exciting and creative with workable methodologies and expectations!

]]> By: Ethan Kent http://urbanomnibus.net/2009/12/the-need-for-collaboration/comment-page-1/#comment-5309 Ethan Kent Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:31:44 +0000 http://urbanomnibus.net/?p=11357#comment-5309 Great piece! Really goes to the heart of what is both limiting what design professionals are creating and why they are facing an increasingly narrow role in shaping our world. In a fight for relevance, each discipline is jockeying to claim everything with in it. At the same time, they are increasingly each becoming their own audience, and becoming more distanced from the people they are meant to serve. Everyone is being hurt by what is in some ways a race towards irrelevance. We will get better outcomes from design professionals, and ultimately for design professionals, when design professionals start to collaborate more effectively and respond more dynamically to context. Designers need to work as facilitators, resources and inspirations to change. This would truly draw on their skills as creative problem solvers and big idea people, set up constructive relationships with clients, collaborators and communities, and generate more demand to address real and complex problems. The culture they are currently trained in is antithetical to this, where they work in isolation, analyze a narrow set of variables, come up with a strong concept and then use a rarefied language to sell that solution and impose it on its context. It is ultimately not a very satisfying or creative way of relating to the world. Individual creativity persists, but it is undermining the collective creativity necessary to address the challenges and opportunities of our time. The ubiquitous pursuit and promotion of Good Design may actually be an obstacle for good design. Designing for Good can perhaps bring more good for design professionals. Great piece! Really goes to the heart of what is both limiting what design professionals are creating and why they are facing an increasingly narrow role in shaping our world.

In a fight for relevance, each discipline is jockeying to claim everything with in it. At the same time, they are increasingly each becoming their own audience, and becoming more distanced from the people they are meant to serve.

Everyone is being hurt by what is in some ways a race towards irrelevance.

We will get better outcomes from design professionals, and ultimately for design professionals, when design professionals start to collaborate more effectively and respond more dynamically to context.

Designers need to work as facilitators, resources and inspirations to change. This would truly draw on their skills as creative problem solvers and big idea people, set up constructive relationships with clients, collaborators and communities, and generate more demand to address real and complex problems.

The culture they are currently trained in is antithetical to this, where they work in isolation, analyze a narrow set of variables, come up with a strong concept and then use a rarefied language to sell that solution and impose it on its context. It is ultimately not a very satisfying or creative way of relating to the world.

Individual creativity persists, but it is undermining the collective creativity necessary to address the challenges and opportunities of our time.

The ubiquitous pursuit and promotion of Good Design may actually be an obstacle for good design. Designing for Good can perhaps bring more good for design professionals.

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