The influence of expertise upon the designer's approach to studio practice and tool use

Abstract

Industrial design is characterized by the embodiment of design intentions. From conceptualization through to design specification, the designer employs a variety of design tools to externalize and develop design solutions to often ill-defined design problems. Surveys of student and practicing designers synthesise existing theoretical and empirical studies of design practice to analyse designer attitudes towards tool use and effectiveness. The survey studies illustrate the influence of expertise upon the designer's attitudes towards tool use during studio practice. Results indicate a relationship between limited experience and the designer's perceptions of and approaches to iterative exploration and design divergence. The use of certain designerly tools appear to compound a tendency for design convergence and fixation.