Friday, April 4, 2008. 16:30 – 17:40
Session 2
«Design Research and Design Process:
Designerly Ways of Knowing»
Introduction: Martin Wiedmer
Nigel Cross — Department of Design and Innovation, The Open University, London — «Creative Strategies: Designerly Ways of Knowing and Thinking»
This presentation is based around empirical research studies of design activity with the use of protocol studies, focusing upon the observation and analysis of creative activity in designing.
The first study is of nine experienced industrial designers, each given the task of designing a new litter collection system for a railway. Naturally, nine different designs were produced. However, there was a commonality between all designs in the approach taken to the separation of litter. This commonality between the designers seems to have been sparked by each of them gathering certain items of information about the problem situation and structuring the separate items into a pattern that suggested a way to approach the generation of a solution concept. This suggests that creative insight in designing includes a perceptual act – an act of pattern construction, rather than pattern recognition. The example also illustrates the concept of co-evolution of problem-and-solution in designing.
The second study is of a small team of three product designers given the task of designing a device to attach a backpack onto a mountain bike. The team tackle this assignment in a structured way, but about half-way through the session there appears to be a sudden ‘creative leap’ to a solution concept that is then developed further to become the team’s solution proposal. The nature of this ‘creative leap’ is analysed, and it is suggested that it is not so much a leap from problem space into solution space but the posing of a concept that affords a bridge between the two spaces. Again, this seems to be a perceptual act related to the co-evolution of problem and solution.
The third study is the same backpack/mountain bike problem, tackled by a single, very experienced and accomplished engineering designer. Protocol analysis of the designer’s ‘think aloud’ comments allows us to see how he approaches the task, and to identify key aspects of a creative thinking strategy in designing. Firstly, the designer takes a systemic view of the problem as given, identifying the importance of, and empathising with the dynamic situation of the rider + bike + backpack. Secondly, he identifies a dominant problem frame that will guide his development of an apposite solution concept. Thirdly, he uses this problem frame to identify relevant basic principles from his engineering domain knowledge that trigger and control his solution concept. Finally, he also uses these basic principles and the problem frame to ensure that his solution concept will satisfy the high-level goals of both himself and his problem sponsor. A similar strategic approach to creative design has also been identified in other studies of highly accomplished designers.
Through studies such as these it seems possible to increase our understanding of how creative thinking happens in designing, and to begin to construct general descriptive models of creative design thinking that might inform education and practice, and aid the development of creative expertise.
Christian Gänshirt — Berlin — «New Tools for Ideas. Research on Architectural Design»
The question of which «tools» are available for design, how they do work and which their characteristics are, should be fundamental to all creative disciplines. Looking at the design process through the lens of «design tools» allows to abstract from personal approaches as well as from specific design methods. The essential terms for understanding the design process will be discussed and the ideas behind my research on «design tools» explained. The different cultural techniques which have been developed for the use of the diverse tools and their current significance will be analysed. Finally, some statements will be made about the developement of new «design tools», especially in terms of the present digitalization of all tools.
17:50 – 19:05
Frédéric Dedelley — Institute of Interior Design and Scenography, Academy of Art and Design, UAS Northwestern Switzerland in Basel — «Design Detective: From Image to Project»
Sequences of images show how unexpected day-to-day situations, strange objects or atmospheric moments on photos can be captured, later interpreted and transformed and finally be incorporated in the designer's projects. The Design Detective shows the potential of a personal image archive for the proper work and for the documentation of the process from perception to reflection to design. It shows the richness of inspiration we can receive from daily life situations even for concrete project ideas.
Panel Discussion. Moderator: Wolfgang Jonas — Member of BIRD — School of Arts and Design, University of Kassel
Apéro