The modern field of design doesn't exist yet.

In most cases design is taught like a trade without the standards or labor protections of a trade.

The job carries the ethical responsibilities of a profession, but is practiced without qualifications.

Theory is largely absent and where it does exist, it's tied to a past practice.

Design might be taught in any of the following departments: Art, Engineering, Business, Graphic Design, New Media, and more!

This explains why there is a complete absence of design criticism. Not criticism like "doing a crit", or feedback, or complaining, but in terms of a body of theoretical analysis.

There is mature graphic design criticism and architecture criticism, but we desperately need coherent interdisciplinary thinking about multidisciplinary, interactive design that extends beyond sucking up to capitalism to get jobs.

This also requires decentering "the portfolio" as the locus of design expertise.

The visual artifact is less and less up to the task of representing any system of which it is a part.

Thinking critically and communicating well *about* design are skills that designers pick up piecemeal along the way if they are committed, curious, and lucky enough to find themselves in environments where they have room to breathe and talk to each other and ask hard questions.

So it's no wonder that any conversation about Design seems to devolve into a tedious twice-reheated territory battle.

We lack the scaffolding upon which to ascend to higher levels of discourse, so everyone is just stepping on each other's heads.

"Design" is not a virtuous substance to be slathered on the wheels of commerce, nor is it merely the manipulation of tools to create artifacts.

It is a practice that demands rigorous consideration and criticism. Currently the forums for this are few and scattered and ad hoc.