Data Design
Dictionary
Why this dictionary?
The possibilities of generative design unfold best when all actors speak a common language. Designing with data is especially successful when all participants are able to express their thoughts precisely and, at best, with a uniform vocabulary. This ability makes it possible to formulate concrete instructions for action and co-creation.
Algorithm
An algorithm is a precisely defined set of rules for calculating operations that are used to solve a specific task. It is language-independent and can be implemented in any programming language.
What is an Algorithm?
Autonomy
In every data-driven process, an idea is transformed into form with the help of a program. It is the defining characteristic of generative design that the concrete forms are generated by a (semi-)autonomous process.
What is Autonomy?
Class
The term class originates from a specific field of computer science: object-oriented programming. An infinite number of objects can be generated from a single class.
What is a Class?
Complexity Scale
Generative processes contain nodes - i.e. situations, in which more than one continuation of a program course is possible by a decision or by the influence of an ordering principle. These nodes can be influenced by fixed rules or principles as well as by data. The framework of design possibilities that results from this can be classified on a scale from simple to complex: the complexity scale.
What is a Complexity Scale?
Creative Coding
Creative Coding is a place where experience in the field of design, love of explorative creativity and skills as a programmer come together.
What is Creative Coding?
Data
In the case of data-driven generative design, data is understood as units of information that can be processed by the computer, for example, differences in the perception of physical states collected by sensors and measuring instruments.
What is Data?
Environment
The environment is the source of all quantitative and qualitative data that we can use as input and 'ordering principle' for the generative process. It consists of two spheres.
What is the role of the Environment?
Future Aesthetics
Future Aesthetics are dedicated to the exploration of how issues of the present and future can be expressed and negotiated through design.
What are Future Aesthetics?
Future Narrative
A Future Narrative is a narrative form characterized by features such as openness, indeterminacy, virtuality, and the inclusion of a variety of possible continuations of individual events.
What is a Future Narrative?
Generative Design
The term 'generative' has its root in 'generation' or 'generate' and means something like 'produced', 'created' or 'brought forth'. Accordingly, it refers to the process of creating a described subject or object.
What is Generative Design?
Human Being
As an instance within the generative process, the human being can assume two different roles:
1. as a creator, programmer and recipient, he or she stands at the starting and end point of the programmed design process.
2. as part of the environment, he or she can serve as a data source through his or her active or passive actions.
What is the role of a Human Being?
Input
The term 'input' describes the spectrum of possible data sources, which can be used for the generative process and made available to the program
What is an Input?
Loop
The process of generative design begins with an abstract idea that, expressed through rules, is translated for the computer to generate a desired form from a set of data. This process is enabled by a repetitive loop that continues until the generative program is completed.
What is a Loop?
Machine
The machine acts as an intermediary between the human being and the environment. It translates the data selected as input and, with the help of the program, automates creative, design, computational, and interpretive processes to transform the data into output.
What is the role of the Machine?
Nodes
Future Narratives are presented via so-called nodes, i.e. situations in which more than one continuation of the event is possible. The progress and outcome of stories presented by means of this narrative form is thus fundamentally variable, unpredictable, and only occurs at the moment of telling, when the corresponding nodes are passed.
What are Nodes?
Object
The term object comes from a specific field of computer science: object-oriented programming. An object is a specific instance arising from the class. An infinite number of objects can be generated from a class.
What is an Object?
Ordering Principle
The ordering principle is either a rigid or dynamic form of input. It arranges the data flowing into a program on a defined surface and is used at the nodes inscribed in the program.
What is an Ordering Principle?
Output
The term output refers to the spectrum of possible output formats that can arise from the generative process in which a program can transform data into a variety of media-specific manifestations.
What is Output?
Platonic Idea
In the context of data-driven generative design, the term is used as a metaphor for understanding the generative process.
What is a Platonic Idea?
Program
A program is understood as a combination of algorithms and functions - formulated in a specific programming language. In this understanding, a program fulfills specific tasks or solves given problems in a cycle of constant repetition (the loop).
What is a Program?
Programmed Design
Programmed design is a production process that enables the economic and systemic development of signs for use in the communication process.
What is Programmed Design?
Qualitative Data
Qualitative data are expressions of aspects of our world whose properties must be perceived and interpreted.
What is Qualitative Data?
