Emergent Design
02.2008-Present
World-scale ethnography.
Currently, we have a lot of complex, grand design challenges in the world. We need a design toolset to address these multi-continent, multi-cultural, long time frame problems.
As designers, we search for the stories, the gems that inspire our designs. These are the ideas that inform everything about what we design. This is essential information.
I created a toolset to access the stories of millions, economically, quickly, and internationally. I am creating a space where this information can intersect and designers can use it to address design challenges.
Self-maps from the masses
In much the same way as we would not plow an entire field of cotton with a hand trowel, we need a design toolset for larger-scale problems. I believe this involves using mass numbers of individuals in the early-phases of the design process, an area where they are currently not utilized.
I have begun to collect self-maps (stories, knowledge, feelings) around specific issues from thousands of people around the world. I have also started to organize this information and build an interface to search, and organize this qualitative information. If you have any interest in collaborating on the programming part of this project, please contact me.
Emergent design method cards
I have created a set of nine method cards for designers. These cards will show you how to populate a problem area widely, catalyze responses in an area of your interest, and filter responses to relevant themes.
Snowflyzone is the home of Carissa Carter's research and design portfolio. All content is copyright 2002-2008 Carissa L. Carter. Contact carissa dot carter at gmail for more information.