Philosophical foundations of the semantic turn in the design theory
Abstract
The paper reveals the philosophical foundations of the semantic turn in design theory. The semantic turn occurred due to the application and adaptation to the design theory the achievements of the philosophy of language, constructivist philosophy, ecological philosophy, symbolic interactionism and dialogic philosophy. The philosophy of language criticises the universalist concepts of industrial design, which is based on new European science. It directs the designer’s attention to a discourse about forms, materials and functions. Radical constructivism gives the designer the opportunity to understand that the existence of artifacts has external causes, but the artifacts are conceptualised and constructed by the person himself. Ecological philosophy offers the designer a different way to human-centeredness. It emphasises that the properties of artifacts are determined by human perception. The ability to interact with artifacts is formed by the meanings that are generated by users, and not by the properties of the artifacts themselves. Symbolic interactionism emphasizes the social nature of meaning – artifacts are woven into the history and linked to the use of language. Dialogic philosophy focuses the new design theory on the consideration of artifacts as phenomena that are constructed in the process of dialogue. It explicates the importance of dialogue processes for overcoming the designer’s isolation in a post-industrial society.
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