Publication 5174

Much design research, including much research in the computer-aided architectural design field, is based on the assumption that the process of designing is observable and that what happens in designing can be known, explicitly described and shared. In this paper I examine this assumption from my subjective viewpoint and conclude that designing occurs behind a blind spot. It can be concluded that existing design process models used in the “science of design” are based on invention rather than on empirical evidence, which in turn suggests that science should be studied as a form of design instead of studying designing scientifically.

Key words: design research, observation, design process, language