ABSTRACT
Design is concerned with the conception and production of objects and systems that contribute to our daily lives. The social sciences’ aim is the study of that very life, sometimes aiming at just understanding and discussing it, sometimes at assisting those involved with affecting it. This book attempts to map an initial territory of intercourse in which some concerns are addressed and some difficulties are outlined. The way in which the relation between design and the social sciences will develop depends on the people who implement that relation and on their cultural values. Businesses are interested in profit, and they would use all the knowledge available from the social sciences to optimize that profit. Design is concerned with the conception and production of objects and systems that facilitate certain tasks, permit the realization of others that would be impossible without design and technology, and contribute to the enjoyment of life through the use of those objects. The issues to contend with are several, and they center on cultural choices and physical limitations.
