Soumitri's Major Project Resources

I am posting here a list of possible ways for unpacking a project area:
1. Actor Network Theory: This is an approach that helps one to side step the often narrowly focussed research attempts which may be teachnology focussed. People become important, but also time and reigning ideas. Se John Law and the Lancaster uni resources here.
2. Stakeholder Amplification: Every area we work in already has people populating it. And they are in it for the long haul - often deisgners are in there for purely monetary reasons. The area of Diabetes for example has people in it (see below). It is safe and prudent in this case to NOT behave like an expert, but to behave like a blank piece of paper onto which these people can write. Their words, ideas, opinions need to be amplified. And Robert Chambers with his PRA is a good example of an approach re making a difference without imposing oneself.
a. Diabetics
b. Families of Diabetics
c. Doctors
d. Pharmacists/ Drug Companies
e. Equipment Manufacturers
f. Health Care system, Government agencies (Policies)
g. Non Governmental groups, Diabetes Australia
h. Care workers, Nurses
3. Life Cycle Mapping: Phenomena can often be treated as really being what we see them to be. However we are creatures of our time and would be wiser if we looked at the phenomenon through the eyes of history. Also in Diabetes time plays a crucial role - as a lifelong illness it is with the afflicted for the long haul. And so the view of life and life processes changes. It means different things through the day and through the years. Life cycle thinking is crucial way of looking at things in the sustainability perspective too.
a. Day
b. Age
c. Life
4. People’s narratives and experiences: People are incredible problem solvers. This is often at variance with the approach taken by designers - for often designers work to put money into the pockets of companies and are not really intterested in solving problems. Listening to people can have profound implications on the way the projects turn out. Especially when the designer begins to feel a genuine desire to improve the status quo.
5. Methods, and Mechanisms: The 'way' you do things is important. I have put a list of things to do. Each of these activities informs the problem area and is useful.
a. Focus Group
b. Interviews
c. Literature Survey
d. Textual Analysis
e. Brainstorming
f. Writing
6. Calendar: Its good to have a claendar for the semester, for the project.
7. Solution Seeking: Solutions pre-exist your arrival on the scene. You just amplify particular ones.

So how are you going about your projects? Can you talk about it here?