Creative Instability
a double-minded, transitory state of equilibrium where the balance of both emotion and thought is disturbed (Koestler, 1964)
An illustration of Arthur Koestler's 'bisociation technique' and Edward de Bono's 'po technique', both design language tools that facilitate an idea generating process whilst simultaneously establishing a shared vocabulary in a group of disparate individuals.
Keywords - metadesigning, awkward space, built environments, flow, temporary spaces of discovery, designing awareness, conscientiousness, bus stops, bisociation technique, ichi go ichi e
Please see the work agenda for questions posed to the meta-researchers
The following notes attempt to transcend the specific expectations of the cognitive team leaders to create three possible objectives for the meta-researchers to engage with.
Three Questions
- Firstly, how do I perceive the other cognitive teams in terms of Pushing Doing? I have reframed this question as how and when do the other teams become resources for pushing doing within a metadesign process?
- Secondly, if I could design and coordinate a workshop with our team, what would the workshop be and what would be the intended outcomes of the workshop?
- Thirdly, the task agenda question refering to an 'eco-mapping' inspired by the diversity shopping example, What creativity-related, or flow-managing elements are implicit within our eco-mapping?
The Four Cognitive Groups
Pushing Doing
- This group operates at the pragmatic level, we are driven by new possibilities and getting the job done
- It therefore considers materials, feasibilities, organization, and results
- One of our roles is the identification of tangible and intangible resources for metadesigning
- These may include the potential of our co-researchers
- This group's major role is challenging or motivating processes, achieving aims, and delivering specified outcomes
One of the objective of the pushing doing group is to identify resources. Each of the other three cognitive teams might be interpreted by pushing doing as a potential resource within a metadesign process.
Languaging, New Knowing and Envisioning from the perspective of Pushing Doing.
When two independent matrices of perception or reasoning interact with each other the result...is either a collision ending in laughter, or their fusion in a new intellectual synthesis or their confrontation in an aesthetic experience. (Koestler, 1964)
- Languaging - Opening up channels of communication working with pushing doing to motivate processes
e.g Bisociation workshop
- Envisioning - Coordinating and tracking working with pushing doing to keep the 'sniffer dogs' on the right path towards opportunity
e.g Prototyping and Modeling meta-solutions
- New Knowing - Tuning in working with pushing doing to increase accuracy in real time decision making
e.g Spatial flow analysis
Working beyond our cognitive roles - meta-developments
1. Bisociation workshop - (pushing doing - languaging)
2. Prototyping and modeling - (pushing doing - envisioning)
3. Spatial flow analysis - (pushing doing - new knowing)
1. Bisociation workshop - (pushing doing - languaging)
I propose that the four cognitive groups take part in a bisociation keyword workshop. The outcome of this workshop would be a shared vocabulary and a collection of images, questions and exemplary cases that emerge from working in between the cognitive styles.
(Wiki-based reading group - metadesign and relating concepts from our shared bibliography)
2. Prototyping and modeling - (pushing doing - envisioning)
Pushing doing's most successful use of tools in the synergy workshops took place in the information-sharing synergy workshop, where the group build a concept model that represented information-sharing synergies.
John B's zooming in/zooming out
E(mapping/Zooming-out)--PD(modelling/Zooming-in)L(mapping/Zooming-out)NK(modelling/Zooming-in)EnvPD-L---NK
See the meeting notes from pushing doing and envisioning with Batel Dinur
3. Spatial flow analysis - (pushing doing - new knowing)
My PhD research includes the development of design correlation tools to negotiate the 'incommensurable configurations' that provoke the emergence of awkward space in the built environment. I am interested in assessing awkward potentials within cities. This is something that might contribute to an 'eco-mapping' or the metadesigning of local contexts.
Proposed time-line
0-3months - Bisociation workshop
3-6months - Modeling and Prototyping - case study opportunities
6-9months - Modeling and Prototyping - case study opportunities
9-12months - Spatial flow analysis - dynamic eco-mapping
12-15months - Benchmarking system
15-27months (beyond the project life-time) - Design Correlation tools - 'negotiating incommensurable configurations' Assessing awkward potentials