Abstract
Communication design is often associated with the visual aspects of design (Frascara 2002). Visual communication frequently assumes an interactive process between sender and receiver while neglecting broader aspects of cognition, communication, and society. Although this might seem complex and not necessarily useful in practical design, combining these three dimensions (cognition, communication, and society) provides an intriguing framework for a meta-theory of (communication) design. If we assume that cognition is an individual process of constructing reality through internal brain operations (Maturana 1987), and that meanings emerge through feedback processes such as socialization and acculturation—becoming the subject of communication within social relations—then we see that the only feasible subject of design is communication. Even when the design involves artifacts, it is communication that enables connectivity and institutionalization, thus organizing the social system. In this sense, design fulfills three specific functions: For the cognizing individual, it provides necessary (and unnecessary) irritations. For communication, it ensures its connectability and supports its continuity. For society, it enables its organization (often through disorganization: “Everything is designed. Few things are designed well” [Brian Reed]). In the paper, I discuss the relationship between communication and design and present a systemic concept of communication design as a general doctrine for organizing social reality.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Communication design, Design and Communication, Systemic Theory
