Two functions of analogical reasoning in design: a cognitive-psychology approach

On the basis of data collected in three empirical studies conducted on industrial designers, this paper identifies two different types of ‘spontaneous’ use of analogy in design. Focus is on the first ‘stages’ of analogical reasoning, i.e. construction of a target representation, and search and retrieval of a source. At the action-execution level, analogies are used in order to solve the current design problem; at the action-management level, in order to make the action-execution process cognitively more economical. Differences between the uses concern their dependence on the routine character of the task, the distance between target and source, and their link with creativity and reuse (or case-based reasoning).     

Drawings and the design process: A review of protocol studies in design and other disciplines and related research in cognitive psychology

A characteristic of the design process in all areas of design is the use of a number of different types of drawings. The different types of drawings are associated with different stages of the process with one type, the relatively unstructured and ambiguous sketch, occurring early in the process. Designers place great emphasis on the sketch often because it is thought to be associated with innovation and creativity. Because of this emphasis researchers have also begun to focus on the sketch and its role in design. The first aim of this paper is to collect together and review the results of this research and to relate it to similar research that has looked at the role of drawings in problem solving in other disciplines. Recently, however, researchers in the design area have begun to relate their work to a number of areas of research in cognitive psychology and cognitive science. This work provides theoretical frameworks, experimental methodologies and a considerable body of research results that are of great potential importance to design research. The second aim of this paper is to review three of these areas, working memory, imagery reinterpretation and mental synthesis, and to examine their implications for design research generally but with a particular emphasis on the role of sketching in design.     

Design procedures in architectural design: applications in CAAD

Normally, CAAD systems are used at the production end of the design process. Yet there is great potential, particularly with the graphics facility offered by these systems, to use them at the beginning or formative part of the design process.

One problem with this direction lies in the procedures for using these systems. This paper compares traditional procedures for using graphic information with computer-aided procedures and discusses the relative merits of the approaches for the designer.     

正确把握产品包装设计过程的方法研究

通过对包装设计过程中遇到个性创意困难时,已存于大脑的其它设计样式就会有意或无意识地诱导设计初始意图,出现设计结果与设计初始意图大相径庭的现象分析.论述"遇难就简"地处理设计问题就不能正确把握产品包装设计过程和准确表达设计思想.提出树立正确的审美观念和中心设计思想,定位设计目标和突出设计主题,崇尚具有原创性的个性设计,其目的是正确把握产品包装设计过程和准确表达设计思想,突出设计个性.     

A scheme for functional reasoning in conceptual design

An ideal functional reasoning environment should support designs of any nature, routine or innovative, at any level of detail, as well as through varying levels of detail. In this paper, three existing functional reasoning models are reviewed in this perspective. It has been found that none of these models support all of these requirements. It has been shown that a functional reasoning approach cannot guarantee the generation of solution concepts, which are combinations of known solutions, unless guided by the knowledge of existing solutions. A new model which can support design both across a level of detail and down through levels of detail has been proposed, which, using a divide and rule approach and using recursive problem redefinition while incorporating existing solutions, could support conceptual design. It is also shown that, although the generation of completely new solutions is not supported by the model, the model, when aided by a framework allowing a sustained progress of its knowledge base by transfer of knowledge from existing designs in the form of basic structures and rules of combination, could support generation of designs which otherwise would be considered unsupportable in a systematic way (innovative).