RESEARCH REPORT Cognitive dimensions of talim: evaluating weaving notation through cognitive dimensions (CDs) framework Gagan Deep Kaur 1 Received: 29 March 2016 / Accepted: 12 December 2016 / Published online: 28 December 2016 Ó Marta Olivetti Belardinelli and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016 Abstract The design process in Kashmiri carpet weaving is distributed over a number of actors and artifacts and is mediated by a weaving notation called talim. The script encodes entire design in practice-specific symbols. This encoded script is decoded and interpreted via design- specific conventions by weavers to weave the design embedded in it. The cognitive properties of this notational system are described in the paper employing cognitive dimensions (CDs) framework of Green (People and com- puters, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1989) and Blackwell et al. (Cognitive technology: instruments of mind—CT 2001, LNAI 2117, Springer, Berlin, 2001). After introduction to the practice, the design process is described in ‘The design process’ section which includes coding and decoding of talim. In ‘Cognitive dimensions of talim’ section, after briefly discussing CDs framework, the specific cognitive dimensions possessed by talim are described in detail. Keywords Talim Á Cognitive dimensions Á Design process Á Kashmiri carpet weaving Á Carpet designing Á Graph Introduction The design process in Kashmiri carpet weaving is mediated by a weaving notation called talim (pronounced taa’leem) which encodes the entire design in symbols. The Kashmiri carpet weaving is hand-knotted pile carpet weaving exhibiting curvilinear patterns in its designs. The practice traces its lineage to Persia from where skilled artisans are held to be brought down around sixteenth century by the Kashmiri ruler Zain-ul-Abidin (Mathur 2004: 18; Gans- Reudin 1984: 14, 31). However, talim is held to be of Kashmiri innovation (Harris 2001; Roy 2004: 225) where it was used earlier in shawl weaving and later, around eigh- teenth century, got adapted to carpet weaving (Saraf 1987: 89; Sajnani 2001: 161). Nowadays, it is also held to be used in Amritsar carpet weaving (Gans-Reudin 1984; Harris 2003) where it started due to migration of Kashmiri arti- sans in nineteenth century (Leitner 1882). The hand-knotting technique necessitates the existence of a premeditated structure which may guide the weaver as to which colored knots should be woven and in how many numbers, so that an intricate design emerges as the weav- ing proceeds. This structure is the talim: it is systematic coding of design instructions which the weaver follows during weaving; rather, it is widely held among the com- munity that no carpet can be woven without talim. The talim is, thus, unlike musical notations which can be dis- pensed within musical performances, at least, in Indian music traditions. Methodology This study seeks to understand the nature of situated and distributed cognitive processes in Kashmiri carpet weaving with special attention to the negotiation of talim by different actors in their particular task domains. Hence, an in-depth understanding of the design process, during which talim is generated, and weaving, during Handling Editor: Ekaterina Shutova (University of Cambridge). Reviewers: Alan Blackwell (University of Cambridge), Marian Petre (The Open University). & Gagan Deep Kaur gaganrism@gmail.com 1 Consciousness Studies Programme, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru, India 123 Cogn Process (2017) 18:145–157 DOI 10.1007/s10339-016-0788-z Author's personal copy