A di alogue logic

Abstract

The history of computation owes a major debt to the traditional crafts, and the worlds of design and computation have been interlinked since the development of mechanical computing systems during the 19 th century. As computing systems became digital, the connections between craft and computation have become more abstract, though they are still there. The regime between the analogue world of craft, and more generally design practice, and the digital world of computation, here referred to as the "di-alogue" world has barely been explored. By challenging our notions of both craft and computation, how can excursions into the di alogue world help us to re-define or re-conceive of our traditional understanding of craft and of computation? In this thesis, I examine the shared history of traditional craft and computation as well as cover several examples of how these worlds have been combined. Additionally, I argue that by capitalizing on the procedural backbone of a particular craft, one can create unique "logics" that blur the perceived line between craft and computation.