Strategies of experts in engineering design: between innovation and routine behaviour
by Petra Badke Schaub
J. of Design Research (JDR), Vol. 4, No. 2, 2004

Abstract: The design of useable and novel solutions seems to be the most challengingrequirement in order to face world-wide competition. Thus, innovation is a key characteristic of successful design. Although creativity is typically claimed as the prerequisite of innovation this paper emphasises experience as the determining variable controlling behaviour strategies in the development of new solutions (see also Akin 1990; Petre 2004). Many studies reveal that individuals with superior performance are not different in relation to their intelligence or other personal characteristics but they produce different strategies of behaviour. If we accept that experience is one main factor determining individual strategies (Badke-Schaub & Frankenberger 1999, Sonnentag & Schmidt-Braße 1998) we should gain more insight into the relation between the experience of designers and their strategies. In order to account for this aim the results of an empirical study of design in four different companies are presented. These data are not concerned with outstanding human achievements but with general patterns of behaviour of experienced designers as responses to critical situations in their work environment. The evaluation deals with the following three questions: Can different strategies of experienced designers related to different requirements be distinguished in the design process? What is the relation between different strategies of experts and the quality of the design process and the outcome? And last but not least which insights can be gained from the nature of expertise in order to improve design methodology and thus the education and training of designers. In order to address these questions the first section of the paper provides a rough empirical background of experience and strategies in design and presents a basic theoretical concept of human action regulation. In this model experience is set into a behavioural context which relates to cognitive, motivational and social processes. In the second section the general framework of the empirical study is presented from which in the third part main results are derived. These results refer to different strategies in different types of critical situations. The paper closes with a short summary and some further implications.

Online publication date: Wed, 10-Aug-2005

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