PROBLEM OR SOLUTION FOCUSED? ILL-DEFINED DESIGN PROBLEMS AND THE INFLUENCE OF DESIGN ABILITY
DS 84: Proceedings of the DESIGN 2016 14th International Design Conference
Year: 2016
Editor: Marjanovic Dorian, Storga Mario, Pavkovic Neven, Bojcetic Nenad, Skec Stanko
Author: Self, J. A.
Series: DESIGN
Section: DESIGN THEORY AND RESEARCH METHODS
Page(s): 67-76
Abstract
A comparative analysis examines responses to an ill-defined design problem between industrial design students and those with no design ability. Distributions of and transitions between naming, framing, moving and reflecting were compared. Design student protocols were characterised by significantly increased moving activity. Non-design student activity indicated increased naming. Results indicate design ability as providing opportunities for appositional reasoning between problem and solution ideation. Implications for engagement with ill-defined design problems are discussed.
Keywords: design ability, design problems, designerly activity