¶ Artifacta
Index Entry
Artifacta:
"Design science undertakes a functional solution of problems. The methodology is First: What is the problem to be solved? and Second: How can that be solved by artifacts rather than by political contriving, or persuasion, or reorganization of the present situation. So I always go to the artifact. And I’ve never had trouble demonstrating that, the simplest one being that there’s a roaring gorge and you put a bridge across it. People are going to try to use the bridge and not swim across. Artifacts induce their spontaneous use. By virtue of their spontaneous use the pattern of society changes, the problem is solved, and the previous situation becomes obsolete.
“Now that’s grand strategy. Therefore, if I’m going to get artifacts I’m going to see what are the structural things that I can solve structurally or mechanically: is it a machine, is it a structure, or an engine? What are the various inputs of all the chemical elements involved? What is their inventory? I think the methodology is quite clear. You first go to the artifacts and in doing so you are going to unquestionably cut out a lot of the wasteful uses of materials. We are going to release materials that are doing the job in an obsolete way.”
