While there are many books on science and many on design, there hasn't been a lot written about "Design Science." We have pulled a few published references, some by close associates of Fuller, which have addressed the concepts central to Fuller's work.
Arthur L. Loeb
Concepts and Images -- 1991 Birkhauser Press
Arthur L. Loeb, Department of Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard University, is the Series Editor for the "Design Science Collection," published by Birkhauser Press. In his introduction to the newest addition to his Design Science Series authored by himself and titled, Concepts and Images, he wrote:
What is Design Science? Just as the grammar of music consists of harmony, counterpoint and form . . . so spatial structures, whether crystalline, architectural or choreographic, have their grammar which consists of such parameters as symmetry, proportion, connectivity, valency, stability, etc. Space is not a passive vacuum; it has properties which constrain as well as enhance the structures which inhabit it. Design Science comprises this grammar in the broadest sense, dealing with those parameters which are common to all spatial structures. That this grammar did not become obvious earlier is probably due to the act that crystallographers, architects, mathematicians, visual artists and choreographers have worked on such different scales and in such varied idioms that they found it hard to communicate.
Ours is an age of images. Signs and images are becoming more potent as the prevailing means of public communication. . . Not only are we communicating by means other than linear strings of words, we are also developing different ways of thinking, of articulating our ideas, and of solving problems.
We have reason to believe that intuition is a form of non-verbalized knowledge. R. Buckminster Fuller called one of his books as well as one of his boats "Intuition." Fuller is known for his images, primarily his dome structures and his tensegrities; his difficulty in communicating verbally is characterized by the special nomenclature he needed to create, to express himself in words.
In the Foreword to Amy Edmondson's A Fuller Explanation, Loeb restate the intent of the Design Science Collection as "an exploration of three dimensional space from the varied perspectives of the designer, artist amid scientist." The purpose of the series is to "extend the repertoire of the former to professions by using natural structure as an example, and to demonstrate the role of esthetic sensibility and an intuitive approach in the solution of scientific problems."
Amy Edmondson
A Fuller Explanation: The Synergetic Geometry of R. Buckminster Fuller -- 1987, Birkhauser Press
"I did not set out to design a geodesic dome." Buckminster Fuller once said. "I set out to discover the principles in Universe. For all I knew, this could have led to a pair of flying slippers." This playful declaration stands as a concise summary of the philosophy behind Fuller's life's work and introduces the relationship of synergetics to design. "Design Science," in the most general terms, maintains that faithful observation of Universe is the basis of successful invention. The idea therefore is not to invent some strange new gadget, hoping there will be a market for it, but rather to tap into the exquisite workings of nature. While the significance of scientific discoveries is not always immediately understood, the accumulated "generalized principles" have been applied in innovative ways throughout history, producing artifacts which have gradually transformed the physical environment. Therein lies the key to humanity's success aboard Spaceship Earth, explains Bucky Fuller
the design scientist will be maximally effective as a comprehensive thinker. Once again, heredefines and thereby expands the concept of design. The design scientist is not to be concerned with an attractive handle for refrigerator doors, but rather with the whole concept of the distribution and preservation of food for humanity. Such subjects, he emphasizes, are not too large to think about. Only through systematic comprehensive planning does humanity have a chance to survive its growing crisis.
A "comprehensivist," he continues, may periodically have to "plunge very deeply" into a narrow subject or specialized project; however, such activity is always part of a larger plan. "Local problem solvers" can function with a global perspective. Our emphasis must shift from "earning a living" to accomplishing vital tasks if humanity is to survive, cautions Fuller; moreover, the "living" will take care of itself if we concentrate on doing what needs to be done.
These sweeping statements at first may seem difficult to apply; however, Fuller's philosophy is backed up by a lifetime of revolutionary invention and research into world patterns and trends, which stem directly from his 1927 decision to think about the whole system of "Spaceship Earth." He explains that his accomplishments were only possible because he gave himself the license to be a generalist: it is possible to conceptualize humanity's food production and distribution (for example) as a whole system; it is a complicated study, but one with clearly defined boundaries: just food--where it is grown, where and when it is eaten, how and at what cost to the enviroment, consumer, etc.
Jay Kappraff
Connections --1991 McGraw Hill. Inc.
Ed Applewhite, Fuller's longtime friend and collaborator on Synergetics I & 2, called Jay Kappraff's new book, Connections: The Geometric Bridge Between Art and Science, the "first text of Design Science."
The blurb on the Connections cover explains, "Drawing upon the work of Pythagoras, Escher, Penrose, Mandelbrot, Buckminster Fuller, and others, [this book] is a stimulation exploration of the multifaceted world of Design Science. From ancient beliefs in the mystical significance of certain proportions to new breakthroughs in quasi-crystals, thiswork is rich in historical detail and brimming with unique design ideas for architects, artists, engineers, and computer scientists."
Oddly, there are no specific references to Design Science listed in the book's index. The fairly extensive references to Fuller's work throughout the book seem more related to synergetics than to Design Science, although the index lists no specific references to "synergetics" either. However, without mentioning Design Science or synergitics directly, Kappraff continually touches on these topics from the twin perspectives of mathematics and aesthetics.
Joseph Clinton
Joseph Clinton officially refers to himself as a "Design Scientist." Clinton's extensive background in design, computer technology, engineering, mathematics and his long professional association with RBF qualify him as one of the true geodesics experts in the world. While working at the School of Technology at SIU in 1970, he undertook the research and writing of two studies entitle "Advanced Structural Geometry Studies," contracted and published by NASA in 1971. His most recent article on geodesics appears in the International Journal of Space Studies special issue on Geodesics (reviewed in Trimtab, Vol. 6, No.3).
In 1976, Clinton founded Clinton International Design Consultants, an interdisciplinary design and consulting firm which is based on the philosophy of what he calls "the structures field of Design Science." This company specializes in environmentally considerate design systems such as solar and wind structures and systems, expandable space trusses and commercial geodesic structures which include Epcot Center's Horizon Omnisphere Theater and the Onmi Max Theater for Expo 86 in Vancouver, Canada. The Design Science Philosophy of Clinton's highly successful firm is stated in his company's materials:
Joseph D. Clinton believes the Design Science method the most appropriate method to solving complex technological problems and employs this method in seeking design solutions, Design is an integrative process--the synthesizing of parts into a whole. Science is the logical, systematic and empirical method of research and ordering of experiences. Design Science is concerned with improving the performance of both the components and processes of the specific technologies and the larger system of which they are a part. It is concerned with applying our evolving know-bow to reducing waste and better allowing us to improve our technologies as applied to specific problems.
