The LanguageAction Model of Conversation Can conversation perform

The Language/Action Model of Conversation: Can conversation perform acts of design? Peter H. Jones Vivek Tyagi 324004932

A Conversion about conversion • What are the context of conversation? – Two individuals talking with each other. • Cherry – “It is exchange of normatively defined meanings and creating understanding between purposeful social participants. ” • Particular exchange b/w people, representing individual interests or intentions, or collective interests represented by individuals. • Phatic conversation – “Small talk”

Conversations in design • Conversations for design must reflect and preserve the positions and contributions of multiple participants included in the model of change. • Three orientations which guide participation in very different ways – Rational perspective – Pragmatic perspective – Phenomenological perspective

Rational Perspective • Instrumental and purposive individual communications systems • To achieve sophisticated design outcomes. • Facilitates relationship between designers, stakeholders, and product or material • Mainstream perspective in our technological culture.

Pragmatic Perspective • Considers design an inherently communicative practice • Unique coupling of appropriate language to the design situation is created • Stakeholders and their lifeworlds are followed rather than promoting our own language of design.

Phenomenological perspective • Acknowledges all meanings arises in language. • Human activity is not separate from language • Conversation is not a tool for outcomes, rather language uses us, shaping and constraining our work and experience

Three Orientations

Types of Speech Acts • Five basic acts: – Assertives: commit a speaker to the truth of an expression – Directives: requests, commands and advice – Commissives: promises and oaths – Declarations: change the circumstances of reality to accord with a proposition (e. g. , pronounce couple as married) – Expressives: convey a speaker’s attitudes or emotions about a proposition (e. g. , praise)

Speech Acts

Types of purposeful conversations • Orientation: It is maintained by conversation that mutually regards a shared referent object (e. g. , the weather). Intent is merely acknowledgement • Possibility: It includes interpersonal queries, inquiries and propositions that “open a context”. Goal is the construction of understanding and novelty • Action: When opening affords the potential for action, Conditions may include some agreed outcome, and agreements about necessary quality and future dates.

Conclusion • Web-based systems have greatly enabled the ability to collaborate, people are easily overloaded by multiple communication channels • Managing commitment and attention remains the weak link in our technology panorama. • A conversation design perspective can enhance our coordination of attention as well as action. • Finally, the emerging perspective of purposive design— “designing for” (e. g. sustainability, thrivability, transformation, care)—shares an ontological basis with “conversation for” in terms of intentionality and social teleology

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