Design outcomes : how designers and tools influence design quality and creativity : a study of individual designers

Abstract

The design process can be seen as a complex, ambiguous, ill-defined problem with no clearly correct answer. At the same time, the early stages of the design process carry importance with regard to design outcomes, sometimes with far reaching consequences. With the proliferation of computer modelling tools, designers are moving away from traditional design tools such as sketching, and begin designing in CAD earlier than before. This thesis focuses on the early stages of the design process, and on how selected design tools - sketching, foam prototyping, and computer modelling - influence the design outcomes of an individual designer in the early conceptual phases of the process. Through the use of controlled design experiments with experienced design practitioners, this thesis seeks to examine how different design tools impact the design outcomes. Analysis of video and audio recordings, interviews, and talkaloud protocols are used to gain insights, and investigate how different tools impact the design outcomes and decision making of individual designers in the early stages of the design process. As an example, does a designer who creates foam models - thereby receiving tactile feedback as they are creating the model - consider ergonomics more than a designer working in CAD? Results suggest clear differences in quantity and quality of concepts depending on which design tool was used, as well as between designers themselves, highlighting the importance of using an appropriate design process and set of tools in the early conceptual stages of a design task.