Mapping and sensing Dewey's situations as design and social science methods

This exploratory paper proposes the use of pragmatist philosophy as a methodological bridge between design and the social sciences. It develops John Dewey’s ecological notion of the ‘situation’ into two novel methods for sensing and mapping situations. The first method, called ‘sensing situations’, aims to help designers become more aware of the diverse elements that make up a situation and develop a deeper understanding of it through embodied experience. The second method, called ‘mapping situations’, is based on Adele Clarke's concept of ‘situational mapping’ and is intended to identify key actors, power dynamics, and areas for design intervention within a given situation. The potential of these methods is to use Dewey’s situation as a shared unit of analysis that allows designers and social scientists to work together and address problems in new and innovative ways that go beyond the traditional scope of their respective fields.