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Discovering Design Explorations in Design Studies Edited by Richard Buchanan and Victor Margolin 1995 Complementary Texts Margolin and Buchanan Robert Jacobson Rudolph Arnheim Keywords Design Theory Visual Design Copyright © 2000-2007 Isabel Pedersen

This collection provides several interesting papers on many different aspects of design. Tufan Orel, in an article called “Designing Self-Diagnostic Devices” focuses on the Redesign of Medical technologies. Orel discusses the idea that as biomedical technology leaves the hospital and enters into homes in the form of self-diagnostic devices, self-cure devices, self-enhancing or well-being devices and self-fashioning devices, the design must reflect this new formation. Specifically, he addresses the way that hospital technology perpetuates the “symbolics of power” (88) that surround doctors and hospitals. He calls it “Frankenstein technology” “laboratory look” that is really a power demonstration. (89) He suggests 5 criteria for changing design in this area: 1. New market of vital self products 2. Vital self technologies do not have to be fixed, they can be mobile and synchronic 3. The aim is not to seek rational ways of using a product, but to become experimenters who may modify the use of the product 4. Change the power symbolics, no control panel look. The self 5. These designs do not need to be concerned with social status symbolism Relevant for wearable computing technology which will have to take into account this sort of design.