Design approach 3: Transition design

Transition design

What are the key features of Transition design?

Transition design is a practical future-oriented approach to solving complex problems. Through four guiding principles, the framework can provide steps toward a more desirable future in all four areas: political, social, economic, and environmental. In transition, change is staged, not a revolution or a sudden shift, but a multifaceted process over time. During the transition, we must understand what we are transitioning into and what we are transitioning away from. There are four mutually reinforcing and co-evolving areas of knowledge, action, and self-reflection within Transition Design:

1) Vision

2) Theories of Change

3) Mindset & Posture

4) New Ways of Designing.

Figure 1: Transition Design Framework (Carnegie Mellon University, 2015)

There are a variety of practices within each of these four domains, and they form a "palette" from which practitioners and researchers can create contextually appropriate design interventions (Carnegie Mellon University, 2015).

How does it differ from the other design frameworks?

The transition design approach is different from other problem-solving approaches in that it emphasizes methods that contribute to positive "system-level change," a process that can take many years, if not decades, to complete. Therefore, a transition design approach considers "ecosystem interventions" to be implemented at multiple scales in the short, medium, and long term rather than one-time solutions that can be completed relatively short.

Figure 2: Double diamond design framework

Therefore, it is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It is always dynamic and does not necessarily have an "endpoint." The double diamond framework is a good example. The double diamond framework is a step-by-step approach to the final solution, starting with the definition of the problem. On the other hand, transition design is not the solution to the immediate problem.

What are the strengths of this mode of design?

Transition design highlights these issues regarding the social role designers need to play to complete large-scale change in emergencies and crises. Transition designers look for urgent and targeted solutions in the context of the problem rather than imposing pre-planned and solved solutions on the scenario.

What are the limitations of this mode of design?

While transition design is responsive to the constant dynamic changes in current needs, it can mean that ideas and solutions can quickly become obsolete. One obvious reason is that the solutions proposed in the past may no longer be applicable to solve the current situation. Based on this, the biggest limitation of transition design is the amount of time and resources required to ensure that dynamic changes are made on time.

How does it compare to Speculative design and Indigenous Futurism?

Both speculative design and transition design are used to solve big, tough problems. In contrast to both approaches, transition design focuses on the present and changes dynamically in response to it. Moreover, transition design considers both long-term and short-term goals. The vision of speculative design is not based on current technology. Therefore, in speculative design, the future is anticipated without considering whether the present will change in a way that makes it unsuitable.

Figure 3: A taxonomy of possible futures in Speculative Everything (Dunne and Raby, 2013)

Transition design problem solving takes a "backward" approach, defining a utopia and then working backward to create a "transition pathway" to facilitate it. This process provides us with a clear pathway to ensure we quantify our vision of the future. On the other hand, Indigenous futurism provokes speculation about the future by considering how indigenous people lived in the past. It is more informed than transitional design and references past indigenous solutions to real problems.

Figure 4: The Future Cone (Voros via Dunne and Raby, via Revell)

Case study

AeroMobil

Since I was a kid, flying cars have always been part of my future vision. It seemed to be an invention promised for over a century. Finally, through decades of research and testing by AeroMobil, production of the AM 4.0 will begin later this year with assembly and will be delivered in 2030 (Evans, 2022).

The company is preparing to be the first to sell a flying car. the AM 4.0 can drive on the road like a car and then take off with its wings spread directly at an airport. Rather than being a flying car, it is more accurate to say that it is an aircraft that can drive on the road rather than a flying car.

AeroMobil uses the transition design method to evolve the supercar. Based on the mythical winged horse Pegasus, the AeroMobil is an elegant vehicle at home on the road and in the sky. The AeroMobil is an innovative automobile and private jet that combines cutting-edge design, advanced materials, luxurious features, and impeccable styling. The highlight of AM 4.0 is that with just three minutes of preparation, it can seamlessly transform from a car to an aircraft - from driving to flying (Aeromobil, n.d.).

The above analysis of transition designs indicates that it requires many resources, materials, and time to constantly change dynamically in response to external changes. The first AeroMobil will result from more than a decade of research and development by a team of outstanding engineers and designers. The first AeroMobil will result from more than a decade of development by a team of brilliant engineers and designers who have spent more than 350,000 hours on groundbreaking engineering and design.

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References:

Aeromobil. (n.d.). Aeromobil. https://www.aeromobil.com/

AeroMobil. (2021, March 5). AeroMobil. The Flying Car. Test flights September-December 2020 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhAdHUgoc2c

Evans, S. (2022, April 29). The AeroMobil AM 4.0 flying car might actually happen*. MotorTrend. https://www.motortrend.com/features/aeromobil-am-4-0-flying-car-preview

Irwin (2015) “Transition Design: A Proposal for a New Area of Design Practice, Study, and Research.” www.researchgate.net/publication/282432370_Transition_Design_A_Proposal_for_a_New_Area_of_Design_Practice_Study_and_Research.

Mitrović, I. (2015), Introduction to Speculative Design Practice, Speculative.Hr, http://speculative.hr/en/introduction-to-speculative-design-practice/