TIDYING UP DESIGN METHODS – AN APPROACH USING ELEMENTARY DESIGN METHODS
DS 48: Proceedings DESIGN 2008, the 10th International Design Conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Year: 2008
Editor: Marjanovic D., Storga M., Pavkovic N., Bojcetic N.
Author: Birkhofer, H.
Section: Researching of designs and design methods
Page(s): 1 - 8
Abstract
This contribution presents an innovative approach to defining elementary design methods to “tidy up” the obscure body of prescriptive procedures for design work. The key concept to overcome this was the analogy to the system of chemical elements. Adapting this concept to design methods it reduces them to elementary ones, which cannot be divided further semantically. These elementary methods are traced back to elements like objects, functions or properties linked with operations like assign, merge or connect. Analysing about 100 design methods only 8 elements and 5 operations were found. First tests demonstrate fascinating perspectives for a convincing structuring of design methods and for improved performance in teaching and learning.
Keywords: design methods, elementary methods, method structure, systematic of design methods