TY - JOUR
T1 - Making explicit in design education: generic elements in the design process
AU - van Dooren, Elise
AU - Boshuizen, Els
AU - van Merrienboer, Jeroen
AU - Asselbergs, Thijs
AU - van Dorst, Machiel
PY - 2014/2
Y1 - 2014/2
N2 - In general, designing is conceived as a complex, personal, creative and open-ended skill. Performing a well-developed skill is mainly an implicit activity. In teaching, however, it is essential to make explicit. Learning a complex skill like designing is a matter of doing and becoming aware how to do it. For teachers and students therefore, it will be helpful to make the design process explicit. In this paper, a conceptual framework is developed to be more explicit about the design process. Based on research of the design process, on differences between novices and expert designers, and on personal experience in design education practice, five generic elements in the design process are distinguished: (1) experimenting or exploring and deciding, (2) guiding theme or qualities, (3) domains, (4) frame of reference or library, (5) laboratory or (visual) language. These elements are generic in the sense that they are main aspects and always present in the complex, personal, creative and open-ended design process.
AB - In general, designing is conceived as a complex, personal, creative and open-ended skill. Performing a well-developed skill is mainly an implicit activity. In teaching, however, it is essential to make explicit. Learning a complex skill like designing is a matter of doing and becoming aware how to do it. For teachers and students therefore, it will be helpful to make the design process explicit. In this paper, a conceptual framework is developed to be more explicit about the design process. Based on research of the design process, on differences between novices and expert designers, and on personal experience in design education practice, five generic elements in the design process are distinguished: (1) experimenting or exploring and deciding, (2) guiding theme or qualities, (3) domains, (4) frame of reference or library, (5) laboratory or (visual) language. These elements are generic in the sense that they are main aspects and always present in the complex, personal, creative and open-ended design process.
KW - Design process
KW - Generic elements
KW - Design education
KW - Making explicit
U2 - 10.1007/s10798-013-9246-8
DO - 10.1007/s10798-013-9246-8
M3 - Article
SN - 0957-7572
VL - 24
SP - 53
EP - 71
JO - International Journal of Technology and Design Education
JF - International Journal of Technology and Design Education
IS - 1
ER -