Simplexity

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the design process that enables the integration of multiple concerns at an early stage of design by combining them into a single field that preconditions the space within which a specific design solution is developed. Our method is closely related to the development of interactive software tools that help the designer form a new intuition about the problem at hand. Two guiding concepts in this endeavour are simplexity [the desire to fine tune and build a system that yields a solution to a specific design problem by collapsing its inherent complexity] and defamiliarization [a side effect of having to represent things as numbers]. To demonstrate our strategy we will present the development of a computational design solution for small scale objects