The Center for Complexity
RISD
ing? —— Does the case study acknowledge the other influencers of systems, and proceed with caution regarding the actual efficiency of a design team? —— Do the writers frame their word choice critically, with specific and contemporary references? Are these references to other queer, trans*/womxn of color? —— Does the case study prioritize the voices of marginalized people over the voices of the designers, systems influencers, and even writers? If a case study is able to navigate the questions above, it will be able to reflect the Center’s commitment to criticality in the creation and fostering of justice, especially with regards to epistemologies in the design canon. To do so fully, the presentation of these case studies must be done with careful consideration of its accessibility, whether online or in person. The Center thus has a physical copy of each of the case studies it cites, for all visitors to peruse, in addition to its online resource collection. WRITING CASE STUDIES
For Center-written case studies, the document is not just a resource but also a material that helps with the Center’s public relations and image. In this case, it is important for the case studies to establish a reason as to why it is important to listen to the Center when it comes to systems design. How, then, does the Center set itself apart from the other systems inquirers? The following are a recommended set of questions to consider when writing case studies on behalf of the Center: —— What forms of design interventions are currently being examined by case studies? How can the Center challenge that canon and push it to be more equitable? —— What voices can the Center prioritize, and show as worth prioritizing, to others who write case studies? —— How can the Center verbally acknowledge its biases and fallibilities, to contextualize its existence and writing? —— How can the Center use accessibility as a core tenet of its case study research and writing processes? —— What language will indicate to the Center’s target audiences that they are welcome readers, as well as welcome critics? Again, the graphic design of all Center-written case studies must be in alignment with the aforementioned guides for accessibility.
Guidelines to Citing Case Studies When citing case studies on behalf of the Center, use this section to ensure that the references match the Center’s level of criticality. It summarizes all of the questions above to be detached for a transportable one-sheet. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
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