Identifying divergent design thinking through the observable behavior of service design novices

© 2018, Springer Nature B.V. Design thinking holds the key to innovation processes, but is often difficult to detect because of its implicit nature. We undertook a study of novice designers engaged in team-based design exercises in order to explore the correlation between design thinking and designers’ physical (observable) behavior and to identify new, objective, design thinking identification methods. Our study addresses the topic by using data collection method of “think aloud” and data analysis method of “protocol analysis” along with the unconstrained concept generation environment. Collected data from the participants without service design experience were analyzed by open and selective coding. Through the research, we found correlations between physical activity and divergent thinking, and also identified physical behaviors that predict a designer’s transition to divergent thinking. We conclude that there are significant relations between designers’ design thinking and the behavioral features of their body and face. This approach opens possible new ways to undertake design process research and also design capability evaluation

Topple dangers posed by free-standing soccer goalposts

The toppling (or `tip-over') of soccer goalposts has resulted in many human injuries and fatalities worldwide. One design of a soccer goalpost, the `free-standing' type, is particularly susceptible to toppling. This paper presents analyses of the safety and design issues surrounding free-standing goalposts. First, a mathematical route for the generation of topple data is outlined. Second, data-sets for Mini-Soccer goalposts are used to scrutinise real-world toppling scenarios. Design steps are proposed for reducing the likelihood of (and subsequent severity of injury from) goalpost toppling. The results are compared against current safety provision contained in the British Standards Institution's (BSI) documents BS EN 748:1996 and PAS 36-1/2:2000. It is intended that manufacturers apply the analysis techniques outlined in this paper to gather quantitative data on the safety of their own products

Materials Experience: Expanding Territories of Materials and Design

Materials Experience 2: Expanding Territories of Materials and Design is the follow-up companion to Materials Experience published in 2014. Materials experience as a concept has evolved substantially and is now mobilized to incorporate new ways of thinking and designing. Through all-new peer-reviewed chapters and project write-ups, the book presents critical perspectives on new and emerging relationships between designers, materials, and artifacts. Subtitled Expanding Territories of Materials and Design, the book examines in depth the increased prevalence of material-driven design practices, as well as the changing role of materials themselves, toward active and influential agents within and outside design processes. The book is essential reading for anyone involved in materials and design, containing 11 authoritative chapters and 18 illustrated accounts of contemporary research projects and practices. Key Features - Presents both the knowledge and understanding of what ‘new and emerging materials’ are, where they come from, and how they can be used effectively in design - Looks at how the professional responsibility of material selection is evolving into a more complex and active role of material ‘creation’ and ‘appropriation’ - Explores how an elevated sensitivity to materials influence people’s experiences of the designed worl

Expanding Territories of Materials and Design

People’s experience of materials, regarding their here-and-now and possible futures, is largely bound into complex accounts of how materials are mobilized in the design of artifacts. The first volume of Materials Experience, subtitled Fundamentals of Materials and Design (Karana et al., 2014), focused on describing people material relationships, with the central premise that materials experience can be viewed from the perspective of the designer who creates artifacts and from the perspective of people who own and interact with those artifacts. In this second volume, we have drawn upon our observations of how materials experience as a concept has evolved and been mobilized to incorporate new ways of thinking and doing in design. We have subtitled the book Expanding Territories of Materials and Design, encompassing a critical perspective on the changing role of design/designers, the increased prevalence of material-driven design (MDD) practices, and the increasing attention among design scholars to the role of materials themselves as active and influential agents within and outside design processes. Materials Experience 2 is therefore a companion to the first volume. In this introductory chapter, to benefit readers venturing into the field of materials experience, we first provide a concise account of where materials experience originated from, alongside its main concepts

The Material: An Active and Dynamic Medium in Design Education

In design education and practice, the material is considered one of the essential and transdisciplinary elements. New materials’ various properties, attributes and applications attract designers’ attention. The investigation and exploration of materials inspire and help designers achieve better design results and improve their hands-on ability and design intuitions. In the past years, although the material in the field of design education involved much knowledge from the engineering field, it developed its own approach for designers to dialogue with the material world. In some design classes, students learn and attempt to place the material in a privileged position in their design process, putting materials at the beginning, and exploring their infinite potential from their characteristics, applications, and future evolution path. The discussion on the relationship between materials and objects, human beings, the environment, systems, and the planet has been booming. Nowadays, many designers choose to develop their careers in the material field to promote healthy and eco-friendly material selection and development. The material designer has become an emerging profession dedicated to designing material strategies and anticipating future impacts on material choices in the intersection of art, culture, technology, and design. Although material education in design has different layers and it is not aimed at making every young student become a material designer, it is essential to understand the dynamic material world and materials’ evolution process for design students. Design educators are gradually aware that material can be an active and dynamic medium to facilitate designers’ cognitive sensitivity and handson ability to all the world’s substances. In other words, the material can be an effective medium for design instruction. This chapter will elaborate on the changing role of materials in design education during the decades and discuss the future pedagogical functions and approaches materials can have in the field of design

Building a Unique Method to Teach How to “Design” with and for ICS Materials in the Wearable Domain

In this paper, we discuss the results of the ongoing research project “Datemats” funded by the European Commission - aimed at developing novel teaching methods for both design and engineering students in the field of Emerging Materials & Technologies (EM&Ts). Specifically, we will focus on Interactive, Connected, Smart (ICS) EM&Ts in the field of Wearable technologies. We framed a new innovative syllabus covering theoretical knowledge (materials and design) practical knowledge through a learning by doing approach (coding skills, manufacturing processes) and skills about how to design successful products by involving companies in the design curricula. The methodology for the preparation of the syllabus and identification of learning contents and methods is described. The structure and contents of the syllabus are presented, and finally, the future steps for the implementation of the syllabus are discussed

Natural fibre composites in product design: an investigation into material perception and acceptance

Natural fibres and their composites have significant untapped potential for product designers and are widely recognized as having good sustainability credentials. Nevertheless, applications for these materials are stifled because of low esteem and a generally low perceived quality compared with conventional materials such as plastics and metals. Current impressions of this material class are therefore not favourable, and their future acceptance in mainstream product design will depend on understanding how, particularly, the sensorial qualities of the materials may be modified to contribute positively to user experiences. This position paper outlines the motivations and methods for a planned research project into the perception and future acceptance of natural fibre materials for industrial product design