4.580 | Fall 2006 | Graduate

Inquiry into Computation and Design

Readings

SES # TOPICS READINGS
1 Introduction / Metaphor  
2 The Silent Game I

Lakoff, G. “The Contemporary Theory of Metaphor.” In Metaphor and Thought. Edited by A. Ortony. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, November 26, 1993, pp. 202-251. ISBN: 0521405610.

Habraken, N. J., M. Gross, et al. Concept Design Games. Book One: Developing. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1987, pp. 1-1 - 1-7, 2-1 - 2-15, and 3-1 - 3-11.

———. Concept Design Games. Book Two: Playing. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1987, pp. 0-1 - 0-5, 2-1 - 2-10, and 3-1 - 3-8.

Reddy, M. J. “The Conduit Metaphor: A Case of Frame Conflict in Our Language about Language.” In Metaphor and Thought. Edited by A. Ortony (1993). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1979, pp. 165-201. ISBN: 0521405610.

3 Metaphors We Design and Compute By

Lakoff, G. “The Contemporary Theory of Metaphor.” In Metaphor and Thought. Edited by A. Ortony. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, November 26, 1993, pp. 202-251. ISBN: 0521405610.

4 The Silent Game II  
5 Design, Rules, and Cognition I

Buy at MIT Press Mitchell, William J. The Logic of Architecture. Design, Computation and Cognition. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1990, pp. 131-181. ISBN: 0262631164.

Buy at MIT Press Nagakura, T. “Shape Recognition and Transformation.” In The Electronic Design Studio. Edited by Malcolm McCullough, William J. Mitchell, and Patrick Purcell. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, September 10, 1990, pp. 149-170. ISBN: 0262132540.

6 Design, Rules, and Cognition II  
7 Visual Calculating I

Minsky, M. The Society of Mind. New York, NY: Touchstone, 1985, pp. 133-135. ISBN: 0671657135. [Read sections 13.1, 13.2, and 13.3 (Reformulation, Boundaries, Seeing and Believing)]

Stiny, G. “New Ways to Look at Things.” Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design (1998): 68-75. (Anniversary Issue)

Knight, T. W. “Shape Grammars.” Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design (1998): 86-91. (Anniversary Issue)

Buy at MIT Press Cope, D. “Artificial Intelligence and Artificial Creativity.” In Virtual Music. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001, pp. 323-324. ISBN: 0262532611.

Bamberger, J. S. “Developing Musical Structures: A Reflective Practicum.” MIT Faculty Newsletter 17, no. 1 (2004).

8 Visual Calculating II  
9 Machine Computing I

Knight, T., and G. Stiny. “Classical and Non-Classical Computation.” Arq 5, no. 4 (2001).

Spiller, J., ed. Paul Klee: The Thinking Eye. New York, NY: Wittenborn, 1961. ISBN: 0571066828.

Sutherland, I. “Structure in Drawings and the Hidden-Surface Problem.” Chapter 7 in Reflections on Computer Aids to Design and Architecture. Edited by N. Negroponte. New York, NY: Petrocelli, 1975. ISBN: 0884053059.

Buy at MIT Press Edwards, P. N. “Constructing Artificial Intelligence.” Chapter 8 in The Closed World: Computers and the Politics of Discourse in Cold War America. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1996, pp. 239-273. ISBN: 0262550288.

Travers, M. D. “Metaphors in Programming.” Section 2.2 in Programming with Agents: New Metaphors for Thinking about Computation. Cambridge, MA: MIT PhD dissertation, 1996.

Optional Readings

Sims, K. “Evolving Virtual Creatures.” Computer Graphics. Annual Conference Series, SIGGRAPH ‘94 Proceedings (1994): 15-22. (PDF)

10 Machine Computing II  
11 Digital Fabricating I

Sass, Larry. “Materializing Design: The Implications of Rapid Prototyping in Digital Design.” Design Studies 27, no. 3 (May 2006).

Minsky, M. “Why People Think Computers Can’t.” AI Magazine 3, no. 4 (1982). [Reprinted in: Technology Review (November/December, 1983), and in Donnelly, ed. The Computer Culture. Cranbury, NJ: Associated University Presses, 1985.]

Bjork, B. C. “Basic Structure of a Proposed Building Product Model.” Computer Aided Design 21, no. 2 (March 1989).

12 Digital Fabricating II  
13 Design Knowledge I

Forsythe, D. “Engineering Knowledge: The Construction of Knowledge in Artificial Intelligence.” Social Studies of Science 23, no. 3 (1993).

Buy at MIT Press Simon, H. A. “The Science of Design: Creating the Artificial_._” Chapter 5 in The Sciences of the Artificial. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1996, pp. 111-138. ISBN: 0262691914. (First published 1969.)

Schön, D. A. Educating the Reflective Practitioner. New York, NY: Jossey-Bass, 1990, pp. 1-79, chapters 1-3. ISBN: 1555422209.

14 Design Knowledge II  
15 Moving On  

Course Info

Instructor
Departments
As Taught In
Fall 2006
Level