Erik Stolterman: Design Theory and Philosophy

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Erik Stolterman is Professor of Informatics at Indiana University Bloomington, as well as a professor at the Institute of Design at Umeå University, Sweden, where he originates.

A prolific scholar of design theory and philosophy, he has co-authored 5 books and more than 150 academic publications with a focus on the design of digital and interactive systems.

His work has been immensely useful to mine. In his writings, I find the words I need to articulate my ideas. He writes, among other things, on the relationships between people and products, on the value and ideals of various design research approaches, and on the synergy of design research and design practice. I spoke with him about the basics: How does he know what he knows? And what can designers learn from philosophy?

Books

• Back to the Rough Ground by Joseph Dunne

• Things That Keep Us Busy: The Elements of Interaction by Lars-Erik Janlert and Erik Stolterman

• The Design Way by Harold G. Nelson and Erik Stolterman

• The Examined Life by Robert Nozick

• The Idea of History by R.G. Collingwood

• The Nature and Aesthetics of Design by David Pye

• The Systems Approach by C. West Churchman

• Thoughtful Interaction Design by Jonas Löwgren and Erik Stolterman

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Connect with Erik Stolterman

stoltermanbergqvist.com