Abstract
Codified knowledge has traditionally been prioritized in universities over tacit knowledge or know-how. While the former is formal, systematic and can be easily disseminated through words and numbers, the latter refers to informal, experiential knowledge and skills that are more difficult to express and transfer through writing and theories. Recognizing that “we know more than what we can tell”, one could argue that codified knowledge alone presents limits in encompassing and expressing the diversity of knowledges. The purpose of this paper is to: 1) reflect on the origins of this hierarchy in academia where universities were founded on scholasticism and on the principle that manual skills, linked to tacit knowledge, were distinct from the higher intellectual knowledge the universities sought to pursue and preserve; 2) emphasize that the dominant system of knowledge in universities is a construction rooted in a specific heritage and that alternatives in indigenous cultures and societies suggest to us that this could be otherwise; and 3) highlight key authors who have challenged this dichotomy in product design, specifically with regard to craft skills. The paper explores the enriching potential and implications of further recognizing the value of “knowing and disseminating otherwise”, as well as the holders of precious know-how, for design research and education.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2025 Special Focus—Thinking, Learning, Doing: Plural Ways of Design
KEYWORDS
KNOWLEDGE HIERARCHY, KNOW-HOW, KNOWLEDGE PLURALITY, INTELLIGENCE OF THE HAND
