Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
creativity, the eureka moment, the sudden flash that brings new light to what
that an insight has a neurocognitive basis whereby “selective attention and imag-
inative exploration influenced by the affective state of mind and relevant and useful
knowledge loosely coupled to the primary focus of the thought” may result in
insight. But, he adds, “resolving a problematic situation does not end with insight.
Rather, the solution must be implemented and executed
...
and assimilated into
In practice, an initial insight mobilizes various components of expertise and
guides the activities in the design space. If successful, the insight is recognizable in
the final design proposal and finds its way into the lessons learned at the phase of
post-design (if not supported by knowledge in the design space, an insight may be
lost). The impact the design has once implemented is a function of the quality and
novelty of that design; the quality is often the outcome of expertise but the novelty
is closely related to the initial insight. Therefore we discern the independent insight-
impact axis, around which expertise allows the development of a design artifact.
Every new design requires at least a modest insight at the outset. Otherwise, the
design may be a solution to a problem but it may hardly qualify as a new design
artifact. Obviously, there is a great difference between powerful insights that lead to
as belonging to the H-creativity category, and lesser insights that result in so-called
P-creativity. For our purposes here the magnitude of creativity is of no conse-
quence. What is of importance is the fact that the design space may be seen as
consisting of the creativity insight-impact axis, and the tiers of expertise that are
activated in the process of designing to reach the best, most functional, most novel
and most influential outcome possible in the short and long terms alike.
5.5 Conclusions: Integrated Comprehensive Design
Design takes place within a design space. What is or should be the content of the
design space is not a fixed given; it is for the designer or the design community to
determine. At present the design space is limited to the task-dependent search for a
solution, usually based on a collection of possible solutions, both known and
unknown (to be discovered). There is a lot to be gained from expanding the scope
of the design space to encompass the pre-design and post-design phases, which are
currently separate entities, not well integrated into the design process. By being part
of the design space it is estimated that prior knowledge and stances (pre-design)
would play a more dominant role in design and would also be more easily
transformed by it, thus being updated frequently. Likewise, the assessment of the
actual performance of a design, once it is realized, could be better utilized to update
knowledge, which could become part of the pre-design phase of a future design
task. The inclusion of pre and post-design in the design space contributes to the
level of expertise with which design assignments can be handled.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search