DESIGN QUESTIONS FOR LIFE: CONNECTING ENGINEERING DESIGN, APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY, AND OTHER QUESTION-BASED MODELS
Year: 2015
Editor: Christian Weber, Stephan Husung, Gaetano Cascini, Marco Cantamessa, Dorian Marjanovic, Monica Bordegoni
Author: Lilja, Johan; Hansen, David; Richardsson, Daniel
Series: ICED
Institution: 1: Mid Sweden University, Sweden; 2: Resonans A/S, Denmark; 3: Styrkebaserad.org, Sweden
Section: Human Behaviour in Design, Design Education
Page(s): 163-172
ISBN: 978-1-904670-74-2
ISSN: 2220-4334
Abstract
The “Design for Life” philosophy is an invitation to create new products, services, processes, and experiences that enhance human life. Research further suggests that a good life is qualitatively different than simply not having a bad life, and implies that the inquiry process during design is important. However, current engineering design approaches are not particularly clear as to which specific design questions should be used in the design process, and even less as to the role various design questions might play. Some of the current approaches even seem to use questions that inhibit Design for Life due to their strong emphasis on only solving deficiencies. This paper aims to highlight the unexplored potential of a more deliberate choice of design questions in the engineering design process. By mapping out four question-based design models and analyzing their differences in relation to the traditional engineering design process, an overview of design question types and their various sequences is produced. The analysis further highlights practical implications and potential gains when it comes to choosing design questions more deliberately in the engineering design process.
Keywords: Design Theory, Design Management, Human Behaviour In Design, Appreciative Inquiry, Question Theory