Transition Design

What are the key features of Transition design?

Transition design is the gap between now and the future. Transition design explores new and untested solution-driven from the knowledge of the past. Transition design learns and educates and triggers other ideas on how what it achieves can achieve better or where else it can be implemented.

The Transition Design framework has four elements. Visions for transition, theories for change, new ways of designing, and posture and mindset. Visions for transition is where plausible thinking no welcome and visions of an alternative future are discussed creating critical discussion. Theories of change are a key part of this framework as is the plan for the change. It evolves knowledge from a variety of fields and disciplines to ensure the understanding has depth and breadth. New ways of designing is required for successful and sustainable change. This also encourages development. Post and mindset keep an open mind which is critical when discussing visions of the future and trying to combat wicked problems.

How does it differ from the design frameworks you’ve encountered on the Design program so far?

It goes backward, looks at a solution, and then works back words to see how it can happen.

This type of design creates something that asks questions about the future. It is the type of design that is just like a preview of what could be created. They focus on a problem and then work from there and create a type of solution the asks for other possible solutions. Transition design is also different because instead of defining into one solution, the solution is the start of many other more successful solutions.

What are the strengths/limitations of this mode of design?

Transition design highlights the were are in a stage that it starving for change with these huge wicked problems. What makes transitional design strong and successful is that it derives from knowledge of the past. You cant have successful change if it isn't education from what you are changing from.

I think that Transitional design doesn’t have many limitations as there are so many approaches that can be taken.

How does it compare to Speculative design in your opinion?

Transition design creates familiarity in the design to make the design more acceptable. Speculative design has the risk of not being accepted, as most are so far in the future it is hard for them to wrap their head around imagining a world like it. Another key difference between the two types of design is that transition design can be tested and put into reality.

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This brings me to the Smog Free case study. This project is the world's first air vacuum cleaner. It takes in dirty air patented positive ionisation technology to produce pockets of clean air. The carbon drawn out from the air is compressed down into carbon cubes made into rings. These rings are then sold to raise money to get more Smog-free machines.

Buying one ring donates 1000m3 of clean air. The goal of the design is to have cleaner air and their smog-free machine is clearly achieving that by pumping 30,000m3 of clean air per hour.

In all the cases our group discussions were successful, I found this one more successful because it tackles a larger wicked problem than the others. I also found it success full because it created a cycle with the selling of the rings with the compressed carbon extracted from the dirty air. This design is a transitional design also because the smog-free machine is just the start of it. They are also thinking of putting it on the front bicycles so cyclists are breathing the clean air as they bike. This design has raised other ideas on how to attack this wicked problem of polluted air and climate change.

Image is from the Smog Free wedsite, https://www.studioroosegaarde.net/project/smog-free-tower

Transition Design Case Study

The GenBank in Peru uses technology to preserve the genetic of potatoes for the future and change and alter genetics to suit different environments and provide different nutrients. As of 2017 GenBank has 21,700 different types of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and Andean roots and tuber crops majority of these are virus-free.

The goal of it is to keep the biodiversity of potatoes alive for future preparation for the future. They will have enough information to alter the genes of potatoes to suit the changing climate and habitats. From what I am learning in my environmental science degree, the more biodiversity the more change of species surviving in the change of environment and climate. GenBank is saving us from hunger in the future as they use a method of cryopreservation that can keep what they have produced for up to 100 years.

This project is transitional in the fact it is raising the queen what else can be persevered and altered to further prepare us for what is coming for us in the future. This is just the start and I think this is raising more awareness for what we need to be doing for the future. We are in need of adaptability and the richness of the biodiversity GenBank is creating is saving us from a hungry future.

https://cipotato.org/genebankcip/