Jacquetta Hawkes – antiquarian
This morning Christine Finn interviewed me for her new BBC documentary about Jacquetta Hawkes (1910 – 1996). So much more than an archaeologist, Jacquetta Hawkes was a fascinating latter-day antiquarian. This is why her academic archaeological colleagues tried so hard to make her marginal. And she was a woman. Hawkes was notorious when I was [...]
human centered design?
More thoughts arising from our class in the d.school on Transformative Design. I have always liked Don Norman’s ideas and attitude. A couple of weeks ago at Core 77 he questioned the feasibility of human-centered design – [Link] In today’s connected world and global market, he argues, culture matters little to design. Designers should center their [...]
hybrid Humanities – Ben Cullen
On the anniversary of the untimely and sudden death of Ben Cullen in 1995. [Link] [Link] [Link] Ben Cullen thought beyond conventional distinctions under a fresh evolutionary notion of humanity as deeply hybrid – material and immaterial, personhood and artifact, species and thing. Humanity: an undecidable, in Derrida’s sense. The lens through which he approached [...]
Humanities – their value
Universities now urging freshmen to consider studying the forgotten humanities – San Jose Mercury News. The quarter opens next week and Stanford is stressing the value of the Humanities – when fewer and fewer are opting for classes in the liberal arts. Why study philosophy or literature? Because they are good for you? How? Why? [...]
cuisinary quiddities
In de keuken van Floris – with Ayman (van Brecht) A remarkable culinary experience in Rotterdam [Link] The kind of exploration of qualities of experience I keep going on about. This is the Humanities (or should be!!)
Revs at Stanford – launched
The Revs Program at Stanford was launched this week with a conference at Stanford’s Arillaga Center. Over 300 came along to a day of talks and displays celebrating automobility. We were in the company of an extraordinary artifact sitting outside on the patio – a famous 1930s Bentley (chassis B35AE) raced by Yorkshireman Eddie Hall. [...]
Revs – agendas
These whiteboards capture some of the ideas and discussion at the launch of the Stanford Revs Program – [Link] Press and publicity links – New York Times Automotive News KQED – PBS News Stanford Report
Olmec Art
“Colossal Masterworks of Ancient Mexico”, an exhibition of Olmec artifacts, is running at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. Extraordinary pieces. Extraordinary presence. It was the first time we had come across them first hand. Here the monumental heads, zoomorphic basalt thrones, engobe ceramics, jadeite celts, are gently spotlit in that subdued ambient lighting [...]
Design, RES and RESPUBLICA
In Tokyo for EPIC – Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference. 6th edition. [Link] Some summary points from my keynote. How could I not respond to Kenya Hara’s wonderful opening keynote and his emphasis on the dialectic of making and its deep connection with human being? [Link] The range of research techniques and methods that I [...]
EPIC 2010
In Tokyo for EPIC – Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference. 6th edition. [Link] How to improve the design of things – take people seriously – be human-centered look beyond the artifact – design systems, scenarios, stories, experiences, interactions don’t assume the designer knows it all – find out, pursue research and conduct fieldwork Ethnography, anthropological [...]
design – cultural literacy
This post is in a series of commentaries on a class running at Stanford, Winter Quarter 2010 – “Transformative Design” ENGR 231 – [Link] This evening – a group of friends and colleagues discussing education and schooling with Tony Wagner. Our warm and welcoming hosts were Joan Lonergan and John Merrow at Castilleja School. Topics: [...]