The Structure of Design Processes

This document is the doctoral thesis of L Bruce Archer. It is a part of his pioneering attempts in the 1960s to create a science of design - a project he later looked back on with some regret. For a discussion, see Boyd Davis & Gristwood 2016 "The Structure of Design Processes: ideal and reality in Bruce Archer’s 1968 doctoral thesis" http://researchonline.rca.ac.uk/1721/ and Boyd Davis & Gristwood 2018 "‘A dialogue between the real-world and the operational model’ – the realities of design in Bruce Archer’s 1968 doctoral thesis" http://researchonline.rca.ac.uk/3116/. This version of the thesis document (which is the same as that held by the British Library dissertation service Ethos) is a photocopy that includes hand-corrections and amendments made onto the typescript. It seems to have been prepared as copy for a book: the closing remarks in the document thank "the designer of this book, Brian Grimbly" (one-time art editor of Design magazine). No such book was ever published. Archer's introduction states: "This thesis attempts to set up a framework within which the set of skills, sensibilities and intellectual disciplines that, taken together, constitute the art of designing might be logically related so as to form the basis of a science of design. No attempt is made here to distinguish between architectural, engineering and industrial design. Indeed, it is an essential element in the philosophy underlying this thesis that the logical nature of the act of designing is largely independent of the character of the thing designed. By the same token, no attempt is made here to define 'good design'. The argument presented is concerned with the theory of navigating towards a chosen destination rather than with the identity or merit of the destination itself. "A logical model of the design process is developed, and a terminology and notation is adopted, which is intended to be compatible with the neighbouring disciplines of management science and operational research. Many of the concepts and techniques presented are, indeed, derived from those disciplines. A primary purpose of this work is to provide a conceptual framework and an operational notation within which designers might work and upon which case study analyses might be based. "The range of techniques and disciplines which might be employed at various stages in the conduct of a design project are referred to only in general terms. Different design problems, and different classes of design activity, call for different techniques and different emphases at various stages. There is no suggestion here that all design should be conducted according to a given formula - only that the logic of any design problem may be better perceived against the background of a common framework. "In certain instances, the general form of the laws which are thought to connect certain phenomena common to most design problems is indicated. It is hoped that the logical model, terminology and notation presented will facilitate the accumulation of the case study data, and the derivation of the more precise general laws, upon which an emergent science of design must be based." A note on accuracy This PDF of the Archer doctoral thesis has been processed for Optical Character Recognition with a reasonable degree of accuracy for the typescript parts. It has not been hand-corrected. The captions and other textual parts of the figures, being in handwriting, have not been processed

The Structure of Design Processes: ideal and reality in Bruce Archer’s 1968 doctoral thesis

The paper centres on a single document, the 1968 doctoral thesis of L Bruce Archer. It traces the author’s earlier publications and the sources that informed and inspired his thinking, as a way of understanding the trajectory of his ideas and the motivations for his work at the Royal College of Art from 1962. Analysis of the thesis suggests that Archer’s ambition for a rigorous ‘science of design’ inspired by algorithmic approaches was increasingly threatened with disruption by his experience of large, complex design projects. His attempts to deal with this problem are shown to involve a particular interpretation of cybernetics. The paper ends with Archer’s own retrospective view and a brief account of his dramatically changed opinions. Archer is located as both a theorist and someone intensely interested in the commercial world of industrial design. The Archer thesis to which this paper refers is available from this Repository at http://researchonline.rca.ac.uk/2949

Towards an understanding of the impact of resources on the design process

Considerable effort has been devoted within the design research community to understanding the structure of design processes and their development for different design problems. Whilst much work has examined the impact of design goals upon the structure of a design process, less attention has been paid to the role that design resources can play. This paper describes an experiment directed towards gaining an understanding of the impact that both active resources (which perform design tasks) and passive resources (which are used by active resources) can have upon design process structure. Main outcomes from the experiment were the conclusive identification that resources can significantly impact design process structure and a number of examples of how these impacts manifest themselves. The main conclusion of the paper is that given the sizeable impact resources can have upon process structure, there is a considerable need to obtain a greater understanding of these impacts to facilitate the development of techniques that can support design process definition based upon an understanding of the design resources being used to solve a design problem

Towards a method for documenting industrial design activity from the designer’s perspective

Design researchers have recorded design activity most often on a microscopic level, enabling some conclusions on the structure of design processes to be reached through analysing trains of thought. An alternative, rarely attempted, is to undertake a macroscopic study of designing on a focused topic. A macroscopic study will aim to reveal designers’ approaches to their work and the kinds of resources they use in relation to that topic. For such a study it is stressed that a designer needs to be involved in a long-term ‘live’ design project. This paper argues that a diary written by the designer, either during or at some point after designing, is valuable to researchers studying designing on a macroscopic level. The two key reasons for using a diary are (a) only designers themselves can describe the thinking that accompanies their designing and (b) accounts can be written chronologically and in direct relation to the development of a particular product. The merits of both concurrent and end-of-the-day diaries are discussed in relation to some initial trials

A methodology for comparing design processes

Engineering Design Centre, University of Cambridge; Design and Innovation, Open UniversityWe gain insights into design processes by recognising similarities to other processes, often in radically different industries. The crucial determinants of what happens are characteristics shared with some other design processes. But there is no way to draw on comparisons beyond one's own experience. We are developing a programme of comparative design research that aims to map the similarities and differences between design processes, and develop a deeper understanding of how and why design is done differently in different industries, and how effective practices can be transferred between industries. In this paper we outline a methodology for creating analyses of design processes that facilitates both cross-process comparisons and the integration of different analytical perspectives on design. The analyst draws on a catalogue of previous design process descriptions for useful concepts, to map processes as a network of participants and activities and the relationships between them, and describe the causal relationships between the properties of the participants, activities and relationships.EPSR

An automated tool for the design and assessment of space systems

Space systems can be characterized as both large and complex but they often rely on reusable subcomponents. One problem in the design of such systems is the representation and validation of the system, particularly at the higher levels of management. An automated tool is described for the representation, refinement, and validation of such complex systems based on a formal design theory, the Theory of Plausible Design. In particular, the steps necessary to automate the tool and make it a competent, usable assistant, are described

A software development and evolution model based on decision-making

Design is a complex activity whose purpose is to construct an artifact which satisfies a set of constraints and requirements. However the design process is not well understood. The software design and evolution process is the focus of interest, and a three dimensional software development space organized around a decision-making paradigm is presented. An initial instantiation of this model called 3DPM(sub p) which was partly implemented, is presented. Discussion of the use of this model in software reuse and process management is given

Investigating Emotions in Creative Design

A wealth of research has suggested that emotions play a significant role in the creative problem solving process, but less work has focused on investigating the role of emotions in the design process. This is surprising given that creative problem solving lies at the heart of the design processes. In an exploratory study we interviewed 9 expert designers about their emotions during the design process. The content analysis allowed us to identify the various types of emotions relevant in the design process and to extend Wallas’ model of creative problem solving with emotional components for each of its stages. In addition, we identified two important roles of emotions in design and several ways in which expert designers regulate their emotions. We discussed the theoretical and practical applications of our work

Digital Humanities Research Through Design

Humanities Computing gave rise to the Digital Humanities, which brought considerations of a wider scope of the digital turn to humanities research. Increasingly, the area is understood to include the field of design, exemplified by definitions that describe the Digital Humanities as a “generative enterprise”. We suggest that design contributes not only to the making of digital artefacts. Design practiced with the aim to generate new knowledge constitues a research method. Design research contributes to the Digital Humanities expertise in addressing complex problems and methods for making the knowledge that is generated during a design process explicit

The Reappearing Computer: the past and future of computing in design research

This paper investigates the early history of computing in design and in design research, focusing on individuals who were associated with the Department of Design Research at the Royal College of Art between the 1960s and the 1980s. The authors suggest that the theory and practice developed at that time may be valuable in thinking about the future, particularly when considering how computing may be used, in various forms, by designers in their work. A taxonomy of some early ideas and activities is presented which, it is suggested, displays a different emphasis from the way computing in design is conceived now. It is argued that as computing has become absorbed into mainstream culture, it has tended to “disappear” and its special qualities have become lost since it is regarded as “just a tool” like any other. A contrast is presented between this model of computing focused on facilitating or replacing hand-work and earlier models which prioritised computing’s relation to the mind. The authors note that some other fields seem currently to be reengaging with the idea of computing as something that is not quite like other tools. The article concludes with a list of questions addressed to the design and design research communities based on the authors’ analysis