Yuill, Crandall, Dunne: by Natalia, Martin, Mike, and Fernando.

Simon Yuill’s article discusses how programming can be seen as distinct practice that is separated from any specific medium. In the process of doing so, he situates it in context of other non-digital media such a weaving. He ties programming to the social structures within which it exists, drawing attention to how it can redefine creativity in relation to distribution and reproduction, placing them within the process of production itself.

The second article by Jordan Crandall introduces the concept of an “operational construct” which emerged as a result of “command, control, and communications” networks within the military. The need for computation-assisted observation, and the desire to reduce the time between observation and analysis, led to the creation of a system of total observation that is done both by humans and computers simultaneously. This system is so prevalent in contemporary society that it permeates all aspects of daily life, and changes our perception of the world.

Anthony Dunne’s “Real Fiction” talks about the role of critical design, which is not aimed at commercial distribution, but is used as means of critique. He proposes different ways of displaying critical design objects, analyzing how this change of context has an influence on the meaning of the objects. For example, the idea of a non-working prototype can be exploited for meaning in itself, such as in the example of bombs by Gregory Green. Dunne emphasizes the responsibility of the designer to think critically about the world around them, creating alternatives, or causing people to analyze their relationship with objects.

Jordan Crandall’s article is very interesting in its relationship to our class discussion on “societies of control”. He really analyses the means through which control is executed, and how it alters our whole perception of the world. The Anthony Dunne text highlighted the role of the designer in not merely accepting the Crandall’s model of society, but using theoretical objects to critique our relationship to it. As such, it can be closely related to the Yuill’s concept of seeing programming as a collaborative practice, particularly in relation to Open Source Software, and its ability to alter the way that we see creativity and artistic production.

How can we apply the ideology of a collaborative practice, such as that of the Open Source movement, to a “traditional” studio-based practice aimed at making a living? Can the two be compatible?