Thesis thoughts

Here are some notes from an initial conversation with Nezar about thesis.

Focus your effort into an idea or proposition that will give you joy. You must have passion for it.

Thesis is a proposition with many qualifiers and variables with three main parts:

Underlying assumptions: that which you don’t have to prove

Hypothesis: potential answers to a problem you define
This is never a question, but to propose a response
Descriptive, exploratory, and explanatory

Paradigm: what is essential to the argument, the basis on which your argument rests
Those involved in the discussion must agree on the paradigm, it sets the base on which you control the conversation

Example:
“Low rise low income housing with adequately surveyed space operates better than the same kind of housing with high rises.”

Underlying Assumption: Defensible Space
Hypothesis: The surrounding height of a public space impacts the actions of people within it
Paradigm: Physical Determinism

Thesis will not prove anything. It is a framework that is set up to help others assess its success or failure.

How can a design be proven?
When you build it, people get it
Building does what you said it would do
The experience is enjoyable and it accomplishes number 1 and 2

Don’t solve an unsolvable problem. The solutions can actually change the paradigm. However, the paradigm can change without you knowing it.

Know exactly what you want to achieve.
Know exactly what you are proposing to change.

Your statement should be solid and to the point (less than 50 words). The statement cannot be challenged. This is your chance to control the conversation and set the ground rules. If others miss the point, remind them and bring them back.

The paradigm must be shared with others
The proposition must be solid.

You have the opportunity to embed the norms in the discussion and give you something solid to stand on.

In the case of Good City Form by Kevin Lynch, he asks the question: What makes a good city?
He offers a couple of normative examples:
Vitality
Sense
Fit
Access
Control
Justice
Efficiency
.

Each of these offers a normative model by which the city can be evaluated. The question is not about the characteristics that make a city good, but about how those can be measured and qualified.