On Emergent Formalism

Greatly simplified, the idea that a complicated thing can be created by the interaction of many simple processes is referred to as emergence. From complicated ripple patterns in sand, to the quasi-synchronized movement of a flock of starlings simple rules make for complicated patterns. In parametrically designed architecture the a reverence has arisen for the emergent complexity. When simple rule sets (parameters) are tweaked until a complex form appears which the designer considers aesthetic and/or functional the design is deemed a success. The critique against this is that emergent design is just formalism masquerading as intelligent process.

Then there is the practice of iteration: Design, test/critique, and repeat. This always yields successively better results. Natural selection is a type of iteration. Emergence and iteration are entangled, but they are entirely separate forces. In the cognitive space between these two concepts is the idea of a feedback loop where two forces act to change each other. Each exerts an influence on the other, and each is changed by the other's influence. A Feedback loop can be present in emergent systems, but it is not necessary. Feedback is necessary for iteration, but a feedback loop may not exist. When talking about such a tangled and nebulous subject as emergence many things which are not truly in the subject matter can tend to get conflated.