Can we consider design process as problem solving process ? are design briefs are some kind of problems? are designed things some solutions for existed problems ?
may we say these problems are users needs?
This is a big question covered in a great deal of design research literature. You can certainly find the detail of the argument in my book How Designers Think.
Briefly:- Design problems are generally considered to be vicious or tricky problems that do not necessarily ahve a correct answer. Such problems are often not explicitly stated in all their detail or aspects, so the design process is thought of as one of finding problems as well as solving them. SOme forms of design are more tightly constrained than others. Civil ENgineering compared with architecture for example. The less constrained or more open ended design fields use a process that we now would think of as a matter of reflection as much as traditional problem solving. See Donald Schons Reflective Practioner for an introduction to that idea.
Just add that a problem solver may tackle challenges as diverse as gas leakage, health insurance, and home heating. Such a problem solver cannot be considered first and foremost as a designer. One of the cardinal hallmarks of design and the design process is sensing and finding the problem/gaps, namely the designer senses the gap/problem, finds/defines the problem, creates alternatives, and select a feasible solution in response to the gap.
Dear Professor Bryan R Lawson
Thank you very much for your comprehensive answer, I have read your book " How Designers Think" , actually before that I was interested in ideas of Christopher Alexander , I remember that you had criticized the idea of Alexander and Page , about dividing problem to sub-problems to solve them , then I read some similar ideas in system thinking ideas. I am going ti read Donald Schons Reflective Practioner.
But what raised this question for me was this idea that the problem solving methods existed before than design methods , and why normally there is no considerable overlap between problem solving methods and design methods ?
Is it because of just design problems are ill-defined problems ?
Is the rate of being ill-defined equal in all disciplines such as architecture , civil or other engineering? , since the design researchers do not separate disciplines and normally discuss about design .
Classical problem solving is usually done within a domain of knowledge. Take for example a chess problem. We can draw a boundary around all the knowledge that is needed to solve the problem. This can then be taught for example in a degree course. However the sort of design problems we are talking about are not like this. There is no boundary. What you need to know depends on the way you intend to solve the problem and frame it. For example one architect might use ideas from nature and another might use some modular proportioning system both tackling the same problem. Often designers think about possible solutions and then almost work backwards to understand some aspects of the problem. Of course these techniques can be used outside design. Nigel cross talks of a designerly way of knowing which is a useful idea. If you have a look at some of the publications on my page here you get more ideas about this huge subject.
Dear Professor Bryan R Lawson
Thank you very much , I am going to read your suggested materials .
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