A Critical Artefact Methodology: Using Provocative Conceptual Designs to Foster Human-centred Innovation

Quoting from Chris Rust Blog

"...Simon's work explores some practical implications of the critical design methods developed by Dunn and Raby, Bill Gaver and others. He has synthesised and evaluated ways for designers to use provocative concepts, "Crazy Ideas" as he describes them, to stimulate stakeholders to engage in productive speculation about aspirations and needs that might not be revealed by more conventional user research techniques. In particular he positions the designer at the centre of his methods, tacitly "processing" the insights from stakeholder workshops into new, more relevant design concepts to stimulate further rounds of stakeholder thinking, rather than relying on explicit analysis.
To support this Simon has developed a des cription of such processing based on Michael Polanyi's theories of tacit knowledge in action. I find this a most useful building block in the body of work being done here at Sheffield Hallam by myself and Nicola Wood with more to come from Rizal Rahman and Cigdem Kaya whose PhD studies are extending it in different directions. You can find this description on pages 171-173 of the thesis: 6.2.4 Designing as ‘processing’ and Polanyi’s indwelling..."


http://chrisrust.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/an-argumentative-process/