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aesthetic, cultural, or economic values.

      Reasoning in Design

      What & Why? Products and services are designed to serve specific usage functions; they are made in a way where they can fulfil specific needs and support certain values. To design a product is to conceive its use and to find a suitable geometrical and physio-chemical (or material) form that fulfils the intended function and the desired needs and underlying values. The kernel of designing lies in the reasoning process that occurs when we examine these values via needs, functions, and properties, and then bring them to a final form.

      The functioning of a product depends on its form, use, and context of use. This means that if you know the geometrical and physio-chemical form of a product, you can in principle predict its properties. Along this line, if you also know the environment where the product will be used in and how it will be used, you can predict whether the product will work as intended. This kind of reasoning is called an analysis . However, for designers the essential mode of reasoning is to reason from function to form – this is referred to as synthesis , which is a process that starts with the values and needs of the potential user, and ends with the form of a product that can satisfy those values and needs.

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      Mindset: This model suggests an analytical and structured way of thinking. A mindset that some designers may not be aware of in practice. Therefore, articulating the different levels in an explicit way leads to more informative discussions during the design process.

      Tips & Concerns

      Both the form and also the mode and conditions of use determine how a product will function in action. The context of use counts as much as the product itself, and therefore you will need to pay equal attention to both these areas. In a sense, designing a product should include designing its use.

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      Limitations

      Intuition and creativity have an indispensable role to play in design. Notwithstanding the importance of scientif- ic knowledge, systematic approaches, and modern possibilities for simulation, we can say that design processes would come to a standstill without intuition and creativity.

      The Reasoning in Design model is a generic representation of how designers process their ideas in a logical manner when designing.

      The model is primarily based on the design of tangible products, but

      it can be applied to services as well. The model helps to reflect on

      the different levels of reasoning while designing.

      MODELS

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      References & Further Reading: Roozenburg, N.F.M. & Eekels, J., 1995. Product Design: Fundamentals and Methods. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. / Roozenburg, N.F.M. & Eekels, J., 1998. Productontwerpen: Structuur en Methoden . 2 nd ed. Utrecht: Lemma.

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      values

      needs

      functionS

      Synthesise

      Analyse

      Simulate

      Evaluate

      Decide

      Iterate

      1.

      criteria

      2.

      PROvisional design

      3.

      Expected properties

      4.

      value of the design

      5.

      Approved design

      The basic building block of the design process is this circle of thought, action and decision. Designing is like a fractal: zooming in or out results in a similar image. Designing is an iterative process where you sometimes have to take a few steps back – ‘back to the drawing board!’ – in order to go a step forward later on. Being aware of the basic cycle that you are going through, up to a few times per minute, helps you as a designer to organise your thoughts and design activities. (After Roozenburg and Eekels, 1995)

      Basic Design Cycle

      MODELS

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      How? The model describes five reasoning steps, each with its own purpose. As mentioned, these steps can happen, for example, in a span of a few seconds or over a period of weeks depending on the resolution level you take.

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      Analyse: In this step, you examine the aspects related to your design goal or a design problem. Overall, analytical reasoning yields information that informs your design criteria and eventually the requirements.

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      Synthesise: In this step, you generate pos- sible solutions. Synthesis yields (elements of) design proposals that potentially offer valuable (parts of) solutions to the problem.

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      Simulate: In this step, you create imagined, digital, or physical representations of

      (elements of) design proposals. Simulation yields representations either in your mind or externalised with which you can evaluate their potential value.

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      Evaluate: In this step, you reason about the potential value of design proposals through their simulated representation. This happens in relation to design criteria. Evaluation produces an understanding of the current value of (an element of) your design proposal and informs design making.

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      Decide: In this step, you reason about the relative value of (an element of) your design proposal and you decide on how to proceed. Decision making informs the next cycles of design: whether to repeat a cycle, proceed to (an element of) your design proposal, or focus on other elements instead.

      What & Why? The model describes the different basic reasoning steps a designer goes through when solving a design problem purposefully and consciously. Theoretically, you can go through only a single cycle, but you usually perform many cycles across the various phases of any design process. The basic design cycle consists of five reasoning steps that are logically connected. Novice or naïve designers often tend to ‘jump’ over some of the steps, which might harm the quality of the design outcome. For example, one might immediately ‘jump to solutions’ when presented with a design brief, without thoroughly analysing the problem. This reasoning

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