Writings on Transformation
Essays from the archive
Twelve short writings on states, gaps, bridges and transformative products — companion pieces to the 2008 thesis.
How Does Something Become Something Else?
Before and after are easy to name. The harder question is how one state becomes another.
Why Transformation Needs A Bridge
A gap alone changes nothing. Something must connect what exists with what could exist.
Transformation Is Rarely Instant
Looking back, change can seem sudden. Observation suggests transition states in between.
The Gap Between States
Most conversations jump from here to there. The space between states is where transformation lives.
From State A To State B
Every transformation begins with a current condition and a possible condition.
Change Through Rearrangement
Sometimes nothing new is added. The same parts, arranged differently, open another state.
Change Through Becoming
Not all change is rearrangement. Some transformations involve becoming something different.
How Does One Thing Gain Another Life?
Integration attaches further possibility so one entity can hold more than one life.
Not All Bridges Are The Same
Many crossings succeed. The mechanism that enables them is not always the same.
How Do You Map A Transformation?
States, gaps and transitions need a way of being seen — a notation for change.
What Can We Learn From Transformative Products?
Physical products leave clues about how transformation can be held and returned.
Can Transformation Be Designed?
If transformation has structure, it can be studied — and perhaps designed with intent.
Additional visual: Library of Transformation (image archive only — no matching essay text).