Conditional Design & Computational Thinking
Conditional Design Workbook by Edo Paulus, Luna Maurer, Jonathan Puckey & Roel Wouters,
Designing Programmes by Karl Gerstner,
Sol LeWitt: the Museum of Modern Art by Sol LeWitt,
Digital Design Theory by Helen Armstrong,
Computational Design Thinking edited by Achim Menges & Sean Ahlquist.

Design Thinking
Design Research and The New Learning by Richard Buchanan,
Wicked Problems in Design Thinking by Richard Buchanan,
Designerly Ways of Knowing by Nigel Cross,
The Reflective Practitioner by Donald A. Schön

Participatory & Collaborative
Designing with People and not for just People by P!D,
Design and Dissensus: Framing and Staging Participation by Mahmoud Keshavarz & Ramia Mazé

Singapore Education Systems
Charting the Future of Design Education by DERC,
Design 2025 by DesignSingapore Council,
We Make the Road by Walking by Myles Horton & Paulo Freire.

Research Approach: Deductive

Framing Design Research: Epistemology Research
Ask how and why.

Question Frame & Focus
Ways To Research by Luck R. (2015)

Subtitle
A study of how Conditional Design practices can nurture a different way of thinking for design students.

Stanley comments:


Introduction
A study of how Conditional Design practices can nurture a different way of thinking for design students.

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Research Objective
1. How design education is done in Singapore
2. ‘designedly vs design’ vs computation thinking
3. Conditional Design, New ways of thinking

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Summary of Readings
Stanley comments:

Transcript: Research Clinic Session

Yasser comments:

Last Consultation with Stanley

Subtitle
A study of how Conditional Design practices can nurture an analytical way of thinking for design students. The first sub-title appears to be more of a holistic approach to examine how conditional design can nurture analytical thinking while still being creative in design students. Seems to be more suited if the paper is specifically targeted to address design thinking.

Although its more clear, I think the objective should be teaching coding because it is not the end. Part of us wanting to teach coding is to increase digital literacy. Literacy is not just a skill but a knowledge. We want students to be able to see technology in a different way, not just see them as tools but to see them as how to control them and how they control us. So digital literacy is the bigger goal here, not just coding.
or
A study of how Conditional Design practices can supplement design education in Singapore by nurturing a designer’s understanding of coding. From the way both sub-titles are phrased, it seems like the second has a more specific argument for how CD can support the teaching of coding (specifically). You may also suggest that the teaching of coding is a part of a greater objective to increase digital literacy.

I think that is important. A lot of people think that being analytical or procedural means that is no creativity. While doing you compendium, we were saying that a lot of people thinks that setting rules and parameters makes design boring. But that is not true, sometimes the more rules the more it forces you to think creatively.

And the first paper seems to be more targeted to address design thinking or address the flaws or gaps that design thinking might have. It’s just two different approaches just to see which you prefer which we can talk about it later.

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Introduction
Singapore’s design education is mainly split into two programme levels, Diploma and Degree in Bachelor of Arts. Government Polytechnics provides the necessary skillsets in diploma courses that are vocational (Liew) whereas, universities and private art colleges that offers degree courses are more research based. Furthermore, design courses are gradually integrating coding lessons as part of their curriculum. You may give an example to make this point otherwise it would seem like we are assuming this is true.

You can put “(Refer to appendix for full list), e.g. LaSalle has done things, or ADM has introduced coding classes in the first year. Just one example will do to make a point that you are not lying. You don’t need the year, you just need some form of coding in their curriculums. Because then it will become a long research to talk about, if you want to you can just use LaSalle to talk about it. Actually, we don’t have coding, its just that your year was the first year we introduce coding. According to the Design Education Review Committee (DERC) report from 2017, Singapore's design education has adopted design thinking approach I'm not sure if this part has been edited and corrected yet. You mentioned design thinking in this sentence but then the next jumps to focus on coding? The connection between the two is not made clear.

You can talk about how design thinking in Singapore (or the whole world) has this drive for coding and to increase digital literacy in its population. And you’re saying in design that is also that is also the general way it is going and you are saying that CD can help make the process; the learning curve a lot easier. Firstly, by looking at fundamentals of computational thinking. Secondly, by making it fun and creative that is not just learning hard coding or computing languages.

So you can just remove the design thinking thing if you want and focus on how Singapore has a drive for digital literacy uh. So not just about coding, when you talk about coding, you can say that coding is part of that drive for digital literacy but the main goal is to increase the digital literacy of students. in design institutions (23). Although methodologies as such are greatly beneficial to the nation’s economy increasing opportunities for businesses and other industries to grow (URA 16) this creates a steep learning curve for design students to understand the logic behind coding.

In 2014, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Ministry of Education (MOE) started implementing coding programmes by Code for Fun in mainstream education for both primary and secondary schools Should mention that although this is implemented in primary and secondary schools, it shows how important digital literacy and coding is for the future.

What it also shows is that how digital literacy in Singapore and coding is to future proof Singapore’s young population. DERC surprisingly did not talk about digital literacy which I think is a gap uh. Because they think that future proof is to teach them design thinking. *wrong answer buzzer . The students get to learn about computational thinking and basic coding skills (Choo), developing students problem-solving skills Not only that, it should be mentioned that teaching coding is a part of increasing digital literacy in students to future-proof their learning for the future.

Should discuss digital literacy and how coding plays a role in it, and not just focus on coding alone because it feels like it is just teaching a skill but when view from the lens of digital literacy, coding because part of a body of knowledge and not just a skill alone. to be able to break down complex problems into manageable parts.

By supplementing Conditional Design Should provide a line or two describing what conditional design does. with design thinking enables design students Jumping between design thinking and coding but you have yet to establish the relationship between the two. At the moment, it does feel like it's two separate objectives: arguing against design thinking and suggesting that CD can support digital literacy (coding). to think from an analytical approach as opposed to a constructive approach (Sydney 6). This new way of learning would further enhance problem-solving skills by altering their perception towards any incoming issues. With that being said, it is absolutely necessary for design students to learn computational thinking. As Singapore’s general education system evolves, DesignSingapore Council (DSC) ought to reassess the current prevailing methods taught in design education.

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Research Objective
This paper aims to study how Conditional Design practices can supplement the design education in Singapore.

The primary objective of this paper is to understand how Condition Design can nurture a designer’s understanding of coding effectively. This paper would challenge the effectiveness of design thinking See earlier point on my thoughts for this.

We need to take it out. being used as the dominant way of thinking in design education by analysing the curriculums of existing design courses available in Singapore. This would better evaluate the competence of design practices and shift Singapore’s definition of what design practices are. Education in Singapore’s design schools should not be reduced solely as a platform to boost and support the nation’s economy but educated in knowledge and making.

The secondary objective of this paper is to propose the implementation of Conditional Design methodologies in existing institutions in Singapore. In doing so, design students would have a more holistic knowledge of their own design practices and be better equipped when entering the workforce in the future. This paper aims to urge DesignSingapore Council (DSC) Not only the but also curriculum managers who are trying to structure the teaching of coding and digital literacy in design programmes. to rethink the design curriculums and consider the potential of Conditional Design methodology.

Summary of Readings
Design Education in Singapore:
According to Design 2025 Masterplan, Singapore poses strong emphasis on the business aspect towards design urging the direction of design to be aligned with the nation’s mindset. However, this funnels down the potential of design studies by measuring its commercial value. The ways of thinking can be brought into application in daily aspects of life not just towards design practices itself.


Fig. 1 5 Recommendations for Enhanced Design Education System by DERC

By introducing design thinking in design education as a dominant way of thinking sets the nation up to foster greater compassion for the people. Students from governmental schools like Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) and Singapore Polytechnic (SP) are given the opportunity to tackle local societal issues as part of their curriculum helps to promote positive budding initiatives (DERC 2017). This human-centered approach helps to unifies the community cultivating the next generation of industry design professionals.

The Effects of Design Thinking as a Dominant Paradigm:
The methods of design thinking are rather outcome-oriented.

Understanding Conditional Design:

Image is interesting but it can be more detailed in revealing more on their methodology. The description below is more helpful but can still be expanded.

The image feels very loose and it doesn’t say much. You need a longer description uh.
Fig. 2 Methodology of Conditional Design

In 2008, Amsterdam based designers, Luna Maurer, Jonathan Puckey, Roel Wouters and Edo Paulus introduced a new way of thinking called Conditional Design Do you think their conditional design manifesto is worth discussing?

You don’t have to go line by line, you can include it in the manifesto. “To their manifesto, they see CD as this...” . It is composed of three main principles, process, logic and input Need to further describe this. Some times it helps to provide images to support these points.

Explain what each section means to them. “Under process...”

Sometimes it can help to show visual examples of works. This is what they say, this is what they do...

E.g. “ the CD project about Fungus, was not able to predict what the outcome may be but allows people to enjoy the process of creating and focus on how creating through conditions can lead to creative outcomes”. . The term Conditional Design simply means designs with conditions that requires participants to work with the limits of the given framework. Using algorithmic thinking approach, only methods of ‘philosophers, engineers, inventors and mystics’, they believe that conditions formulated with clarity and precision around an idea is necessary (Maurer et al.). In this way, the conditional designer is able to minimise possible issues that might surface during the process as well as to further guide the process. + Could show visual examples of there works to discuss.

Unlike design thinking which is outcome based, Conditional Design focuses on the process than the outcome itself How so? This is not described fully.

I think you can either cite people on this. Mostly because you didn't really explain what the process is in the first or second sentence. . Though these sets of framework can be repeatedly applied, it is nowhere near rigidity as the input is the participants themselves which would result in arbitrary outcomes. This challenges participants to “think within the box” and expand their creativity. + Whether the objective is to focus on design thinking or coding, you should make deliberate attempts to connect CD to it and show how CD can counter/support certain ways of thinking.

Every time at the end of a section, end with a statement that reinforces your main focus off the paper. So how I will say this is, “Based on the research, it shows that CD can be a way to introduce algorithmic thinking in a creative way that can help designers who are interested in digital literacy.” It reinforces the main object, write an argument for yourself.


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Proposed Research Methodology
Although module curriculums of design courses are accessible, there is a need to gather first-hand feedback to better understand experiences of people who undergo through above mentioned design education frameworks. For this reason, the primary research will question students, alumni, educators and conditional designers to gain greater understanding through their thoughts and experiences.

Firstly, students... Whether the objective is to focus on design thinking or coding, you should make deliberate attempts to connect CD to it and show how CD can counter/support certain ways of thinking.

Every time at the end of a section, end with a statement that reinforces your main focus off the paper. So how I will say this is, “Based on the research, it shows that CD can be a way to introduce algorithmic thinking in a creative way that can help designers who are interested in digital literacy.” It reinforces the main object, write an argument for yourself.

Secondly, educators...

Thirdly, an interview will be conducted with respective conditional designers such as Luna Maurer, Jonathan Puckey, Roel Wouters and Edo Paulus to understand...

Lastly, an interview with Dhiya Rahman a lecturer from LASALLE College of the Arts, Faculty of Design who also _______ That's good as a start. You may also want to interview Andreas.

As an aside, Andreas, Vikas and I are in a work group to encourage the building of digital literacy in our Design Comm programmes.

It’s a good start but you can also interview Andreas. Andreas, Vikas and I are part of a workgroup to encourage digital literacy in our design com courses. + In fact when Andreas is trying to think of what to do for BA1, you know Andreas is a hardcore coder, but we are saying that for BA1 is too much of a culture shock. They come in to design not thinking about coding but we say “this is how you do things in C++ or Javascript.” In fact in the earlier conversations, I talked about CD as an easier way to understand coding principles and then I’m glad that he further the discussion with Dhiya and get him on board in this. You can speak to Andreas on this.

You might want to interview BA1 & BA2. But for your studio you might want to develop a methodology or working with CD. It could also be working with BA1, you can think about what if you were to do things different for different levels. It almost become a full kits of sorts to your FYP. So there are some methods that applies to BA1, some to BA2 and some BA3.

In conclusion the insights of this paper will...


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Yasser comments: