Scripting Cultures

With scripting, computer programming becomes integral to thedigital design process. It provides unique opportunities forinnovation, enabling the designer to customise the software aroundtheir own predilections and modes of working. It liberates thedesigner by automating many routine aspects and repetitiveactivities of the design process, freeing-up the designer to spendmore time on design thinking. Software that is modified throughscripting offers a range of speculations that are not possibleusing the software only as the manufacturers intended it to beused. There are also significant economic benefits to automatingroutines and coupling them with emerging digital fabricationtechnologies, as time is saved at the front-end and newfile-to-factory protocols can be taken advantage of. Mostsignificantly perhaps, scripting as a computing program overlayenables the tool user (designer) to become the new tool maker(software engineer). Though scripting is not new to design, it isonly recently that it has started to be regarded as integral to thedesigner's skill set rather than a technical speciality. Manydesigners are now aware of its potential, but remain hesitant. This book treats scripting not only as a technical challenge,requiring clear description, guidance and training, but also, andmore crucially, answers the question as to why designers shouldscript in the first place, and what the cultural and theoreticalimplications are. This book: * Investigates the application of scripting for productivity,experimentation and design speculation. * Offers detailed exploration of the scripting of Gaudí'sfinal realised design for the Sagrada Família, leading tofile-to-factory digital fabrication. * Features projects and commentary from over 30 contemporaryscripting leaders, including Evan Douglis, Marc Fornes, SawakoKaijima, Achim Menges, Neri Oxman, Casey Reas and Hugh Whitehead ofFoster + Partners.