The Life and Times of Plastic Chairs: A qualitative research inquiry into the active interplay of design poetry with users, designers and the objects of design

qualitative research inquiry sets out to investigate the active interplay of design
poetry with users, designers and the objects of design. The outcome of this thesis has
contributed to the field of design by expanding the concept of design poetics and
developing design poetry as another dimension of design writing. It examines the
relationship between poetry and design against the backdrop of a growing interest in
the ways in which we write about the designed world. It proposes design poetry as a
compelling and immersive form of design engagement, one which is as yet underresearched.
This research has also shown that, with its capacity to encompass social, political and
cultural factors, design poetry can be a significant vehicle in shaping our view of the
objects of design. The plastic chair became a focus for this research gaze, as an
object of design importance, with both social and cultural relevance; as an object that
is mundane and quotidian but one that can achieve iconic status as a design classic.
The research adopts methods that support the critical-creative approach which
underpins an arts-based inquiry. A significant outcome of the research is in the
development and synthesis of new creative research methods: the creative
conversations facilitating a dynamic collaborative dialogue with the key protagonists
i.e. designers, poets and users who remain at the heart of this inquiry; the synthesis of
individual and group critique on design poetry practice, employed as a method to both
share, evaluate and contribute to the development of the researcher’s creative work;
the creative output itself, a book of original poetry that reflects the research endeavour
and captures the dynamic interplay of making, consuming and narrating.