The Changing Present

Yourself - understanding of self

A sense of responsibility concerns us as designers, as well as a person existing in the world.

Response-ability = your ability to respond and be held accountable

Existentialism

Is a philosophy most concerned with existence of a person and the responsibilities of that person.

It is a philosophy of human life, a way to understand the complexities and challenges of existence and what it means to live a meaningful life. 

As designers we think it as a way to interrogate and come to understandings of the responsibilities of the maker - it can be thought of in our design context as the meaning of being, making or sharing.

Sensitivity 

This is a philosophy of sensitivity and awareness at an uncomfortable level. It requires self-reflection, an awareness of your situation. 

Sartre

A French existentialist philosopher - born and worked most of his life in Paris. 

Claimed that "existence precedes essence" meaning to be comes before your nature. 

Toy Story, 1995 - When Buzz removes the sticker of his arm, he is literally removing the veneer of his supposed "essence" of a space trooper.

His theories were based on everyday existence and the complexities of relationships, he takes the philosophy out of abstract spaces and into everyday life. 

The essence is not a solid thing but is animated and changing - this should disrupt your understanding of what it is to be a designer and what you think of your relationship to consumers and viewers.

SEMINAR

The seminar was about peer editorial of our essays