John Wood's? Role

He is facilitator / rapporteur / host at Pines Calyx 2008


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John's Introductory talk

  • Welcome to Pines Calyx workshop, and to the m21 project at Goldsmiths. We are so grateful to you for coming.
  • You have an events programme and task brief to guide you through the next two days.
  • And our delightful research team is at your disposal. (Not in the 'recycling' sense)
  • Some of you may be concerned about IPR issues. Can we agree to follow a Creative Commons (external link) approach?
  • As we are recording these sessions, may I suggest that you might like to abide by Chatham House Rules (external link)?

  • Question: Why has eco-design failed? Answer: Largely because of the economic system.
  • Then why don't we change it? Is it because it's impossible? No, because the idea of radical change became unthinkable.

  • This is only a problem because citizens = voters = consumers = choosers not dreamers
  • The first step is surprisingly easy, provided we can muster some imaginative courage.
  • Secondly, the idea of sustainability is confused and misguided. What would happen if we sought synergy instead?
  • This means re-designing design itself - perhaps as a creative democracy, (or holarchy) that constantly transforms itself.

Diagram of an ecosystem - in the arctic sea

  • Nature resembles a synergy-of-synergies (external link) that reconciles many domains - human + non-human, technological + ecological, etc.
  • Design Synergy must therefore become far more comprehensive, cunning and enterprising at all levels.
  • The challenge for metadesign teams is whether they can deliver synergies that can also synergize with one another.
  • We need an auspicious mode of reasoning that makes practical solutions more attractive to the human mind.
  • This is why we have brought together such a variety of high calibre design thinkers. This is an important mission.
  • But it is not a mission impossible...it is our first, shared visit to the gardens of serendipity.
  • We hope that you will learn more about synergy and metadesign...and that the journey is memorable and rewarding for all of us.

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