ABSTRACT
Design can be understood as a discipline that seeks to improve the existing condition by synthesizing practical needs with human values. However, a form of design that is truly capable of offering improvement and benefit – as typically claimed by designers – demands careful consideration of the ideas and values that inform design judgements. And here, it is important to recognize that these judgements cannot be sufficiently informed by deductive and/or inductive methods. There is also a need for interpretation and imagination, both of which are fundamental to creative activities. Moreover, and as discussed in Ch.73, values-based judgements need to be grounded in a culture’s philosophical and spiritual traditions because these traditions typically prioritize concern for others rather than self, and inner benefits rather than wealth and possessions.
