On design thinking, bullshit, and innovation
Design thinking (DT) has been widely promoted as a powerful approach for systematically achieving innovation, particularly in the world of management. Recently, however, some critical voices from design and science & technology studies have called bullshit on DT, accusing it instead of distortin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidade Católica Portuguesa
2018-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of Science and Technology of the Arts |
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| Online Access: | https://revistas.ucp.pt/index.php/jsta/article/view/7317 |
| _version_ | 1818581950532681728 |
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| author | Rodrigo Hernández-Ramírez |
| author_facet | Rodrigo Hernández-Ramírez |
| author_sort | Rodrigo Hernández-Ramírez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Design thinking (DT) has been widely promoted as a powerful approach for systematically achieving innovation, particularly in the world of management. Recently, however, some critical voices from design and science & technology studies have called bullshit on DT, accusing it instead of distorting and trivialising design methods and processes to serve purely commercial goals. Through an analysis of the recent history of design research and an overview of some (philosophical) accounts on the concept of “bullshit”, this paper shows that at least some of the criticism holds. However, it argues that a truly fruitful critique of DT needs to go beyond simple derision. Ultimately, this paper suggests that perhaps we should steer away from the idea that there is a designerly way of thinking, and focus instead on showing how designers, being “doers”, create maker’s knowledge. Designers, educators, managers, and anyone interested in understanding why design goes beyond a simple methodology perhaps might be interested in this account. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T07:41:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6e58355c578241e4ad785dbab4e09445 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1646-9798 2183-0088 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T07:41:38Z |
| publishDate | 2018-09-01 |
| publisher | Universidade Católica Portuguesa |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Science and Technology of the Arts |
| spelling | doaj.art-6e58355c578241e4ad785dbab4e094452022-12-21T22:39:04ZengUniversidade Católica PortuguesaJournal of Science and Technology of the Arts1646-97982183-00882018-09-0110310.7559/citarj.v10i3.555On design thinking, bullshit, and innovationRodrigo Hernández-RamírezDesign thinking (DT) has been widely promoted as a powerful approach for systematically achieving innovation, particularly in the world of management. Recently, however, some critical voices from design and science & technology studies have called bullshit on DT, accusing it instead of distorting and trivialising design methods and processes to serve purely commercial goals. Through an analysis of the recent history of design research and an overview of some (philosophical) accounts on the concept of “bullshit”, this paper shows that at least some of the criticism holds. However, it argues that a truly fruitful critique of DT needs to go beyond simple derision. Ultimately, this paper suggests that perhaps we should steer away from the idea that there is a designerly way of thinking, and focus instead on showing how designers, being “doers”, create maker’s knowledge. Designers, educators, managers, and anyone interested in understanding why design goes beyond a simple methodology perhaps might be interested in this account.https://revistas.ucp.pt/index.php/jsta/article/view/7317Design thinkingDesign methodologyBullshitInnovationMaker’s knowledgePhilosophy of design |
| spellingShingle | Rodrigo Hernández-Ramírez On design thinking, bullshit, and innovation Journal of Science and Technology of the Arts Design thinking Design methodology Bullshit Innovation Maker’s knowledge Philosophy of design |
| title | On design thinking, bullshit, and innovation |
| title_full | On design thinking, bullshit, and innovation |
| title_fullStr | On design thinking, bullshit, and innovation |
| title_full_unstemmed | On design thinking, bullshit, and innovation |
| title_short | On design thinking, bullshit, and innovation |
| title_sort | on design thinking bullshit and innovation |
| topic | Design thinking Design methodology Bullshit Innovation Maker’s knowledge Philosophy of design |
| url | https://revistas.ucp.pt/index.php/jsta/article/view/7317 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rodrigohernandezramirez ondesignthinkingbullshitandinnovation |