DESIGN AND PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
FOR A JOURNEY IN BEING™
ANIL MITRA PH D, COPYRIGHT © JANUARY 2001, REVISED January 2007
Document status: January 16, 2007
Currently no further action needed for Journey in Being
CONTENTS
DESIGN AND PLANNING FOR THE JOURNEY IN BEING
A General Study of Design: Nature, Structure, and Process
Design: Document Systems in General
Design for the Journey in Being and the Document System
Design and Planning for this Document
COPYRIGHT AND MOST RECENT UPDATE
Design refers to the process also and is design, designing and planning
The preliminary design for Journey in Being is complete, above; the process is discussed below in
Design for the Journey in Being and the Document System
Design and Planning for this document
The major focus of this division is on design itself
Design: Nature, Structure, Process
Design: Document Systems in General
A design is a concept –picture, formulation– of a means to an end. When no feasible means is evident, a process may be required to come up with a design. The process may be referred to as the design process – as designing. ‘Design’ is used to refer to a completed design and to the process of design – the designing. If the meaning is not clear from the context, ambiguity can be avoided by being specific
The process of design may require ‘problem solving’ which includes imagination and creativity as well as established methodology. In general there is no established method that invariably results in a ‘solution’ or design. Not all problems have solutions let alone feasible ones. Most often, there may be many kinds of solution and for each kind a range of parameters that are valid designs. In this case, the freedom may be used to incorporate factors that were not present in the original process – or to enhance the consideration of factors originally present. Thus if a design is based on functional considerations, esthetic or environmental considerations may be introduced or enhanced
There is a distinction functional vs. systems design. Function is purpose – the designated end. Functional design is the translation of a sense of problem or need into a well defined function. Systems or object design is coming up with an actual system or design that realizes or satisfies the function or purpose. Performance is quantitative or qualitative specification that may apply to function and to system. Design considerations are those that are or should be taken into account in the process of design; they include but are not limited to conditions specified in function and performance. Some design considerations are specific to the particular design e.g. mechanical considerations for a mechanical system; others are more general that pertain to a number of kinds of design e.g. esthetic and economic. In the evolution of a design or a particular field of design, new design considerations may be recognized or emphasized; environmental, ethical and safety concerns, always present, received explicit emphasis in many fields of design in the second half of the twentieth century; of course, talking about ethics does not imply ethical intent and may hide lack of ethical intent
Designing is the process, including adaptation, modification, synthesis of new / existing systems, of coming up with a design that satisfies the design considerations. Generally, under a patriarchal – established – system, synthesis of new elements is the exception and standard elements are selected and adapted to the purpose at hand
Designing may include synthesis, modeling, analysis, experiment, building of prototypes and evaluation; the process is iterative. In the long term, coming up with new kinds of design consideration is part of design
Mode of representation and of analysis for systems design may be pictorial, symbolic, conceptual-theoretical, quantitive, numerical. In some sense, all modes of representation are ‘pictorial.’ Alternatively, analysis may be replaced or complemented by experiment and prototype building and testing
In optimal design, a special case of design, one –or more– design consideration is of the form satisfy this consideration as best as possible subject to the remaining considerations which are specified. As examples, one wants to minimize the weight of hiking gear, and industry often wants to maximize its profits. If more than one consideration or criterion is optimized, the approach to optimization is generally non-unique – unless there is a way to reduce the multiple criteria to a single one e.g. by introducing a common measure for some criteria and replacing the others by constraints. There are various approaches to optimization subject to multiple criteria e.g. Pareto optimization that was originally developed by V. Pareto for economic optimization
Often, the object of design is a process or a system process. In this case, optimization is generalized to optimal control
Complex projects or systems are made up of sub-systems and the systems design of the system itself, various levels of sub-system and down to individual components may be iterative. At each level, the approach may be, first, to use standard ‘designs’ and, then, to attempt to synthesize i.e. create new elements. The process of synthesis is a ‘design in itself’
As far as design is evolutionary it does not end with the analysis or prototype building and testing. Production, maintenance systems and further evalution and re-design close the loop
A plan is a sequence of steps, a process, to achieve the design. Planning is the process of coming up with the plan. [Thus, planning is a form of design.] Preparation and maintenance, rather, preparing and maintaining, have to do with needs rather than the fundamental objectives. Preparing is taking of preliminaries etc. before implementing the plan; maintaining: doing maintenance needs. There is a practical distinction between preparation and maintenance but the distinction may break down and the terms may be used somewhat interchangeably
Planning is itself a systems process and may also be subject to design. In this case, the problem of allocation of resources to design and planning versus e.g. the system being designed versus production… is a problem in optimization or optimal controls. Such problems may be, analytically, extremely complex and various simpler approaches to approximation are used: first, established institutions and practice, second, e.g. the use of Herbert Simon’s recognition of bounded rationality and the use of the concept of satisficing behavior – the term ‘allocation of resources’ is also due to Simon
These various concepts and terms, especially ‘plan,’ ‘planning,’ ‘design,’ ‘designing,’ ‘means’ and ‘ends’ are not completely distinct in the variety of their uses
I am concerned with the process: designing and planning as it includes forming and achieving objectives and values. As noted earlier, ‘design’ has more than one use and may refer to a design or a plan, to the subject of design, to the concept of design or of planning, or to the processes of design and planning
The purpose of the introduction of the foregoing ideas: as a record for further use; recognition of the complexity and concepts for design; and to note that systematic design must occur within a ‘paradigm’ or stable system e.g. a stable and developed society. The history of development of Journey in Being implies the existence some stability and to that extent there is some formal design; however, not only due to resource limitations but also due to the intent to approach all being there is a need to press on and this is not different than actual insititutional situations
Overhead is the institutional structure, physical plant, system of support and maintenance within which design, testing, evalution and production occurs
The concept of the structuring of projects is Time x Object system
Minimize self-reference; do not plan what takes care of itself
Establish, use formal or informal measures of performance; and means of time x resource assignment
Problem of focus
Preliminaries may be implicit and suppressed
E.g., the purpose of the Journey is realization of the potential of being
In “the purpose of life,” purpose = value [, priority]
In “my purpose is to do…” purpose = objective, goal
Values are direct or contextual
See Foundation | ‘Whereof one cannot speak…’ [Short Foundation]
Includes [re-]formulating and [re-]cognizing
This applies, also, to the preliminaries above
What are the elements of the design?
How much of the total resources will be spent on design
…and on preparation and maintenance within the design itself?
What concrete actuality, will achieve the objectives?
Minimizing the phases, needs, sub-objectives and tasks
Establishing design considerations
The main system is made of interacting sub-systems that may be treated as black boxes in preliminary / main design
Hence the efficiency of teams and need for interaction
And so on down to individual components; some level may be regarded as purchased / given; system -> sub-system design is iterative
In Journey in Being, the objectives are knowledge and realization of ultimate being, sharing and communicating; this is the main ‘system’
The subsystems are the paths – in interaction:
The elements of knowledge and thought that constitute the metaphysical foundation and cognitive transformation
The experiments in the transformation of being
The experiments with the variety of being; and social influence and action, and
The range and development of these phases
Overhead includes various tasks of inspiration, preparation, design, personal support
The phases or sub-systems are means and intermediate ends
The following considerations arise:
What are my personal needs?
What are the financial needs for the journey?
What are the needs for study and development of metaphysics and other disciplines?
What is a minimal but complete set of experiments in transformation?
Understanding the variety of being and developing instances of machine being
Communication, charisma, sharing – general and institutional; use of the patriarchal system
How do the parts mesh?
The design and implementation are in process and there are significant accomplishments – above, in the essay Journey in Being and the Horizons Enterprises website
Upgrade is enhanced by modularity which is natural though not complete
Maintenance merges into upgrade
Beyond ‘life-cycle’ includes review of all levels including purpose
Repetition leads to the possibility of automation which is enhanced by modularity
Automation is valuable in various ways:
Eliminating repetitive labor, but
Especially in 2nd order automation – automation of automation with its potential for machine intelligence
Automation does not eliminate the need to face darkness or ignorance and, by blind trial, enter into a new dimension
Of course, at design time, planning is not altogether avoided but, after design, it becomes explicit
A plan is a set of sub-objectives and tasks formulated to achieve objectives
[Necessarily, planning and designing merge
Omitting sequencing and timelining from initial planning is convenient]
Define the tasks. Reduce
Normalize tasks i.e. [as far as possible or reasonable] make the tasks rational, simple, and distinct
The object to be sequenced:
Ø Time x Object System; times may be written as date, period or interval, ongoing, open, unknown… or uspecified
The process of achieving objectives is, generally, sequential-parallel over sub-objectives and sub-systems
Parallelism arises from interaction among objectives / systems and among objectives and process
…and is essential due to implicit objectives
…recur at regular / irregular intervals e.g. daily, yearly, every five years… or are a one time event
…arise as needed; as they arise they may be sequenced, timelined
Formal: tentative sequence of first level sub-project tasks with dates
May use ; need Seq Macro
Include preparation, maintenance, coordination [projects, teams]
May be informal: repeat for sub-systems at desired / needed degree of levels
Design is iterative, evolutionary; return to consideration of the design project at all levels of review as needed
This may be done systematically / periodically &or as the occasion arises or is needed or imperative
Networked versus print or manuscript – or both
Access: browsing linked organizations[s;] search; by reference to markers e.g. page numbers or other means of indexing e.g. indexes and tables of contents
Single versus multiple renderings: especially for modular documents in electronic networking; automatic re-organization
Conceptual organization: by concept, by flow of ideas, journal or narrative
Physical organization: linear, random, multidimensional
Objects to be indexed: concepts, ideas and subjects, names, keywords
Kinds of index: conceptual – table of contents; physical arrangement; subject, name or keyword index arranged alphanumerically, by time, by frequency of use or access by a search mechanism
A table of contents corresponds to an organization shceme, frequently a conceptual scheme that is the basis of physical organization. However, often multiple conceptual organizations are possible and therefore multiple physical organizations – renderings – of the same material or multiple tables of contents for the same physical organization
Open text; general concept of the text: open/dynamic; the significance of the open text idea is that texts, authors and readers are in mutual evolution; multiple authors – blurring the author-reader distinction; plan, vehicle and document; contains opposites; living, not just open; organic
Minimalism vs. presentational form
See Generic Text
With large systems, for both print and electronic forms, modularity makes management efficient for
…conceptual treatment and research; writing, editing, co-authorship, upgrading; distributing; physical management e.g. handling and storing; access, reading, purchasing, uploading / downloading
Modules cover the total concept, are relatively disjunct and may be made according one of a number of schemes
Schemes of choice are conceptual then time sequential
Organization / listing may follow scheme[s] e.g. from General Design Considerations, above
How many documents or modules? Balance the value of modularity, above, with the following considerations:
A large number of modules makes for fragmentation
… compounds problems of cross-reference
…compounds physical management i.e. there is a balance to be obtained between the unwieldy aspects of a large single document and of a large number of modules
The following arrangements are possible:
Separate modules with / without main document that may have overview, outline, index
Additional primary documents for levels of sophistication / understanding; or for communication
Frames / no frames – in the case of html and other electronic documents
Multiple organizations in a single rendering may lead to effective use / understanding and promotes theoretical / conceptual advance
A single rendering may have multiple organizations by supplementing the actual scheme by alternate tables of contents of indexes
It may also be useful to have multiple renderings, each with one or more principle[s] of organization
This may be unwieldy if in a single printed volume or single web page
Print – or manuscript – is necessary for any text based information [contrast: oral] where electronic technology is unavailable or cannot be afforded
In societies where electronic technology is not widespread, print is the only means for distribution of text
Most commonly, electronic documents are distributed from a single copy on a server to readers or users over a network; the use of networked information requires centralized server technology, network technology in place and reading devices. An advantage of networked information is interactivity and this requires the reading devices to be more than passive. Even in societies where these technologies are generally in place, there are places and occasions where they are not or where print is preferred. An electronic alternative to networking is the electronic “book” which also requires technology and a power supply
Some editors and publishers prefer print; and many persons continue to prefer print and hand manuscripts for reading or research and for writing
Getting a work published in print continues to be a benchmark of achievement since, at minimum, there are editorial and economic criteria that must be satisfied. Additionally, printed work is subject to criticism which, to some extent, marks success
In a number of ways and situations print is more robust, less perishable and more economical
While there is a whole culture dedicated to computation and while some readers, users, producers continue to prefer print my experience is as follows
Computers were introduced in my youth and I used them in technical applications. From 1985 till 1997 I had no need to access to computation and my writing, reading and studying was done with manuscripts and print. By 1997, when I bought my first computer, the industry had undergone the transition to GUI – graphic user interface – based use. Since that time I have used Windows based computers extensively for production, web-authoring and to develop custom automation with programming. While I continue to use print for source materials, my writing at home is almost entirely on my Windows 2000 Professional laptop with Microsoft Office XP – I will occasionally jot down rough notes on paper; additionally I have a number of local sources e.g. Encyclopaedia Britannica on my computer and, in addition, I use the Internet as a source. I have become comfortable reading, writing, thinking with a computer screen in front of me and, in turn, it is a medium that is conducive to creativity in the same way that writing can be. I continue to write on paper while traveling – especially while hiking in the wilderness; however, since I know that I will translate the paper documents into electronic form, my hand written documents are no longer as meticulous as they used to be. In the early years of my use of GUI’s I would type up my hand written documents as a journal before editing them; recently I have eliminated the middle stage of typing up a journal
Thus, I have become comfortable with the use of computers and use electronic or print according to what is available and what is more convenient according to the task. I suspect that the present or future generations might be uncomfortable with print for some functions while being generally more comfortable with the electronic medium
Microsoft Office has a easy to learn, programming environment, Visual Basic for Applications or VBA. Maintenance of the large number of documents on the Journey in Being website is laborious and I have used the html and VBA capabilities of Office to automate and make routine a number of tasks of document / site production and maintenance. Additionally, I have programmed a few knowledge tasks and have used the relational database, Microsoft Access, to suggest a conceptual result in the philosophical interface between idealism and materialism
It remains true that the storage, transmission and automation of the electronic media confers upon it highly significant advantages; my choice of electronic media is one of power and convenience
Effective storage, portability, access, transmission and management of large, evolving document systems
Ease of production; of implementing modularity, indexes and multiple renderings – for cross study, different functions and audiences
Production includes writing, editing, multiple / distributed authoring, upgrading; modularity, indexing, re-rendering, production of link sytems
A single master local version may be the basis of the various renderings; a master version may be the basis of automated rendering
Linking through e.g. hyperlinks:
Links can be placed anywhere in a document but are especially useful for toc’s and indexes
Links can point to a bookmark in the same document or to another document – or bookmark in the other document
...or to another site or document / bookmark in another site – web, ftp [file transfer protocol] or other
Through search programs and databases – local or network wide
All of the above may be automated: storage, access, linking, search
Search is by use of search programs and databases – local or network wide
An electronic search on a local network or a wide area network e.g. the Internet may point to another network or library system
Documents may be dynamic and interactive
Simulation of print and books – especially of browsing through books
With browsers and html editors, it is easy to present a modular system as a single document
There is the option to use frames; frames make navigation easier
MS Word, Front Page, text editors, html and related editors
Design of links
For documents that are to be sub-divided, as far as possible, make use external links rather than internal links
E.g. ../folder/document.html#bookmark rather than, simply, #bookmark
Test links
The problem is of making the whole system of a number of modules, in processes that include creation and elimination, dynamically responsive to the individual aspects of the exploration and transformation; with each change to a given module, changes ripple through the system
A dynamic solution to this problem is in a number of parts
The solution meshes with other solutions e.g. the template system and minimizes duplication; solution systems may be series [nest] or parallel [independent]
An example: functions x topics matrix… the basic function x topic design and its automation is useful; macros are needed to make functions / topics representations and transform one to another
The current planning / implementation cycle for Journey in Being is essentially complete and incorporated as the design / plan. The material is eliminated, here, to permit beginning afresh
Dual planning for the Journey and the document system is essential
Planning for the document system has been absorbed to projects for: Source Documents and Phase 4
The planning cycle for the document is complete and details are eliminated. This permits effective re-design – if needed
See Automation of document organization
COPYRIGHT © ANIL MITRA PHD, Tuesday, January 16, 2007 9:45:04 PM
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