Simultaneously as the concept of design layers came into focus, it became apparent to me that the idea of design languages was also essential. Some of the readings that led to this conclusion were:
- Rheinfrank, J. & Evenson, S. (1996). Design Languages. In T. Winograd (Ed.), Bringing Design to Software. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
- Alexander, C. (1979). The Timeless Way of Building. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Schon, D. (1987). Educating the Reflective Practitioner. San Fancisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- Winograd, T. & Flores, F. (1987). Understanding Computers and Cognition: A New Foundation for Design. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
- Bucciarelli, L. (1994). Designing Engineers. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
- Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Bazerman, C. (1999). The Languages of Edison's Light. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
These writers made clear the social and linguistic nature of designing and defined design as a conversation for the purpose of sharing and clarifying meanings. I became convinced of the importance of designers understanding this facet of their work, not only as novices learning the many languages of design, but also as experts hoping to sharpen and extend their reach.
My work on this theme includes:
- "Elementary Principles of Design Languages and Notation Systems for Instructional Design", written with Erin Brewer and published in Innovations in Instructional Technology: Essays in Honor of M. David Merrill (2005, Mahwah, NJ: Earlbaum Associates).
- An article authored by Sandie Waters and myself titled "Design Languages, Notation Systems, and Instructional Technology: A Case Study" (Educational Technology Research and Development, 52(2), 57-68).
- A chapter titled "Design Languages" co-authored with Luca Botturi, Eddy Boot, and Jon Nelson (in press).
- A case study authored by Kay Seo and myself titled "Design Languages: A Powerful Medium for Communicating Designs" (Educational Technology, 43(6), 43-46).
Research into the formal and informal uses of design languages and their productivity, economic, and design automation implications seems to me to be of great importance.
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