...design as a process of interpretation...

"Who can tell me why I chose this site?"

THE PALACE AND THE TEMPLE at PALENQUE...THE SITE EXISTS ONLY IN MAPS (texts and images)

Remember that I spoke of hermeneutics...in reference to my question.

Here is a little bit of background adapted from wikipedia on hermeneutics (my emphasis)

(As you read this passage reassign the word "text" to become "map", reassign the word "author" to become "design student", reassign the word "reader" to become "other design student or professor")

"Traditional hermeneutics involves interpretation theories that concern the meaning of written texts. These theories focus on the relationships found between the author, reader and text. (Some) argued that the meaning of a text is determined by the author's intent. (Some) argued that the meaning of the text goes beyond the author, and therefore the meaning is determined by the point where the horizons of the reader and the writer meet (Others) argued that the text is independent of the author's intent and original audience, and therefore the reader determines the meaning of the text."

This paragraph should sound familiar to you as you think back over our studio. I think all these theorists are correct (maybe I just don't enjoy arguing, maybe it doesn't matter who is right if they ideas are valuable). In other words, I argue that the VALUE of the meaning of a text (read as "map") remains dependent on the state of schizophrenia (remember Greg!) present in the writer (creator, i.e. design student) who reads his/her own text and fails to understand it only as it was intended, so that he or she can increase the likelihood that they will uncover something exciting. Don't get caught up in this...it can get confusing...just do good work...lots of it.

Application of hermeneutics to Archaeology, further adapted from wikipedia on hermeneutics

"In archaeology, hermeneutics means the interpretation and understanding of material by analyzing possible meanings or social use. Proponents argue that interpretation of artifacts is unavoidably hermeneutic as we cannot know for certain the meaning behind them, instead we can only apply modern value in the interpretation. This is most common in stone tools, for example, where using descriptions such as "scraper" can be highly subjective and unproven. Opponents claim that a hermeneutic approach is too relativist and that their own interpretations are based on common-sense evaluation."

So, this is little tid-bit is a post-facto understanding of the assignment that involved you creating theories to answer my question, "Who can tell me why I chose this site?"

Thank you for your theories and their accompanying maps. Thank you for pinning them in a relationship based matrix. Now present them as scholarly efforts.