Feedback Actuated Questions pertaining to GDCode
Does GDCode assume earth to be the center of the universe? Not in the objective sense of physical reality, concerning which modern cosmology ascribes no absolute center to a relative universe. GDCode assigns earth to be the center of its design framework by a subjective choice governed by geometric convenience and rationalized by social and biologic centralities, for starters.
Is GDCode something like a building (or other) code required by law? No. GDCode's rules must be adhered to only in order for a particular artifact to be called a GDCode application; but such application is a matter of choice that may, in some instances, be restricted by codes required by law.
What's the difference between code rules, guidelines, and expressions? Rules are set rules, without which the code has no structure. Guidelines refer to the multitudinous (if not infinite) set of rule manifestations. Expressions are reasonable, though not required, use of code guidelines.
I'm a ______ (landscaper, etc.). Must I delve into ______ (naval architecture, etc.)? Not necessarily. You can conceivably go to the code portion(s) relevant to your field, and never wonder from there. But perspectives of how the code is applied to constructs in other fields will imbue your own with a greater wholistic underpinning, and they may also lend ideas and tools necessary to solve special design problems you may experience.
Does GDCode apply itself to any kind of artifact? The scope of GDCode is pretty broad, but definitely limited. With large scale constructs, its application is constrained by loss of precision, and on small scales by the reality of material makeup. In between many artifacts involving physical contact (clothes, etc.) are out of the code's realm of applicability.
Some code concepts are applied in ways unproven. How do you know they will work? I don't know. In such cases like wing design for a prime example, I do find any sense of dubious viability in the face of proven conventionality outweighed by an intuitive extrapolation of success found in nature - that may require a deeper look at the code's available guidelines, and perhaps waiting for an advance in the relevant technology.
On the other hand, GDCode often seems to rehash conventionalities. What's the point? From a historical perspective of design, it sometimes appears as if human constructs have been following geometric concepts that GDCode employs quasi-intuitively for some time. The value of identifying, analyzing, and codifying concepts may be likened to how the formulation of long intuitively-sensed gravity led to space flight.
Derivations of GDCode applications seem drawn out compared to the final results. That's the nature of code presentation. It is largely a combination of common sense and sublime symbolism applied to a geometric framework which models physical reality both well and with great economy. The derived result only represents the essence of the artifact responding to that reality, from which point a designer will hopefully take on the challenge of providing variation and detail as required by to a particular real world application.
By the illustrated results, I get a sense of sameness in widespread application. The examples are generally the simplest possible application of guidelines proffered, so they may give that impression. But upon closer consideration of what the text says and what the graphics mean, it should be apparent that a designer can easily find myriad variation within the code's guidelines, even as an underlying commonality will always exist.
Is GDCode a utopian endeavor? It can be called that without negative connotations as long as the outside-in approach that characterizes it is recognized as being limited to merely serving the immeasurably more important inside-out approaches that lead to true utopia - by contributing to a utilitarianism of access.
What are GDCode's sustainability attributes? The small-is-better implication of the celestial cube projections, which self-compensates by shifting consciousness away from the limited lateral; optimal solar utilization and management; earth berm temperature moderation; elevation of the bicycle to its rightful place in the transportation spectrum; and the efficiency and reuse implications of its mass production and standardization potentials.
These ideas appeal to me, but I'm entrenched. Is GDCode an all or nothing proposition? No. If you own a little land, you can indulge the code in landscaping projects; If you like the water, boats from dinghies to live-a-boards can be easily built following code template guidelines; and as far as purchases go, a few bicycles I've seen (mostly coaster brake "cruisers") come very close to looking like they materialized right out of the transport template.
Does using GDCode assure good design? By its nature, the code should facilitate better (if not optimal) design, but within its freedoms exist the real possibility for misapplication and bad design, judgements which are of course subjective. Beyond the framework that GDCode provides, good design will still need intelligent application of other key design considerations in the realms of practicality, economy, and aesthetics.
Do GDCode ideas cost anything to use? - No. Code ideas in themselves are not copyrightable, as this protection pertains to particular expressions of ideas which the owner has control over distribution. Inventions and proprietary processes implementing the code may someday arise, and licensing could conceivably be required to claim qualification to deliver GDCode-guided design in the future. Otherwise, apply code ideas for free, and apply them well.
Home | About | Site Map | GDCubed | Glossary | FAQs | Downloads Contact
-
-
Copyright © 2004-11 Russell Randolph Westfall