EthnoComputation: An inductive shape grammar on Toraja glyph

Abstract

This paper aims to highlight the ways in which Shape Grammar inductive reasoning can analyze and represent design knowledge in a tacit environment. Deductive Shape Grammar has effectively examined designs from the past, where access to the artifacts’ authors is not possible. However, in a condition where access to the craftsperson and the making process is possible, there is an opportunity to induce design grammar from the evidence on-site. Nevertheless, in such contexts, direct access to the craftsperson does not necessarily mean that access to their design knowledge is straightforward, as reflected in our case study, Passura: a Traditional Glyph in Toraja, Indonesia. In this article, the formulation of inductive Shape Grammar is provided, and applications on the tacit environment are discussed.