Short answer
When designing platforms, actively consider and articulate the future you are trying to enable, and use analytical tools to understand the deeper assumptions driving your design choices.
- Field
- Innovation & Design
- Source
- University of the Arts London Research Online (University of the Arts London) (2019)
- Method
- Qualitative analysis using Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) as a framework.
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Design platforms that explicitly engage with future possibilities can embody and propagate specific ideologies and worldviews. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2019 study published in University of the Arts London Research Online (University of the Arts London). Using Qualitative analysis using causal layered analysis (cla) as a framework., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing platforms, actively consider and articulate the future you are trying to enable, and use analytical tools to understand the deeper assumptions driving your design choices.
Future-Oriented Design Platforms Shape Ideologies
Design platforms that explicitly engage with future possibilities can embody and propagate specific ideologies and worldviews.
University of the Arts London Research Online (University of the Arts London) · 2019
Key Findings
- 01Design platforms can be seen as active agents in constructing future possibilities.
- 02Causal Layered Analysis can reveal the deeper, often unstated, ideologies and worldviews underpinning design initiatives.
- 03The Agbogbloshie Makerspace Platform, through its design, posits a specific vision for future making and innovation.
Application
Design takeaway
When designing platforms, actively consider and articulate the future you are trying to enable, and use analytical tools to understand the deeper assumptions driving your design choices.
How to apply
Before launching a new design platform or initiative, conduct a futures analysis to understand its potential ideological impact and long-term implications.
Project actions
- 01When analyzing a design, think about the 'why' behind its creation and the future it seems to be aiming for.
- 02Consider using frameworks from other disciplines, like futures studies, to deepen your design analysis.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Applies an interdisciplinary approach by integrating futures studies into design analysis.
- +Provides a novel framework for critically evaluating design platforms beyond their immediate functionality.
Limitations
Applying complex futures methodologies might require significant background research and may be challenging to fully integrate into a design project.
Reliability & validity
The validity of the findings relies heavily on the interpretation of the chosen futures methodology and the specific case study. Reliability would depend on consistent application of the CLA framework across different analyses.
Think critically
To what extent can designers truly control the future ideologies that their platforms might propagate, given the unpredictable nature of user interaction and societal adoption?
Design Principles
"Design platforms are ideological constructs that shape future possibilities."
Understanding the underlying ideologies within design platforms is crucial for anticipating their long-term impact and ensuring they align with desired societal futures. This insight encourages designers to be more conscious of the implicit messages embedded in their platform designs.
What This Means for Your Design
The way you design a platform can send a message about what kind of future you want, and you can use special methods to figure out what those messages are.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this insight to justify the critical analysis of a design's future implications in your research project.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research highlights how design platforms are not merely functional tools but also ideological vehicles that actively shape future possibilities. By employing futures studies techniques, it is possible to deconstruct the underlying worldviews and assumptions embedded within such platforms, revealing their potential impact on societal development and innovation.
Source
University of the Arts London Research Online (University of the Arts London)
Crafting spaces between Design and Futures: An analysis of the Agbogbloshie Makerspace Platform
journal · 2019
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about future-oriented design platforms shape ideologies?
- When designing platforms, actively consider and articulate the future you are trying to enable, and use analytical tools to understand the deeper assumptions driving your design choices. Evidence: University of the Arts London Research Online (University of the Arts London) (2019).
- Why does "Future-Oriented Design Platforms Shape Ideologies" matter for design?
- Understanding the underlying ideologies within design platforms is crucial for anticipating their long-term impact and ensuring they align with desired societal futures. This insight encourages designers to be more conscious of the implicit messages embedded in their platform designs.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When designing platforms, actively consider and articulate the future you are trying to enable, and use analytical tools to understand the deeper assumptions driving your design choices.
- What were the main findings?
- Design platforms can be seen as active agents in constructing future possibilities.. Causal Layered Analysis can reveal the deeper, often unstated, ideologies and worldviews underpinning design initiatives.. The Agbogbloshie Makerspace Platform, through its design, posits a specific vision for future making and innovation.
- What research method was used?
- Qualitative analysis using Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) as a framework..
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2019 journal from University of the Arts London Research Online (University of the Arts London).
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- Before launching a new design platform or initiative, conduct a futures analysis to understand its potential ideological impact and long-term implications.
- What are the limitations?
- The analysis is focused on a single case study and a specific futures methodology.