Model of Design Thinking as Trial-and-error Process ー based on Vygotsky’s thinking unit

1. Hisataka Noguchi IASDR 2013 Tokyo Model of Design Thinking as Trial-and-error Processーbased on Vygotsky’s thinking unit Dr. Hisataka Noguchi

2. Hisataka Noguchi IASDR 2013 Tokyo Introduction ● Why Design Thinking now? Is our civilization going to have better balance between natural environment and artifacts? Perhaps answer is “No”. Because economic growth need unlimited expansion of consuming, and it has been destructed the earth environment. Why design, as a profession, has not been able to stop it? This may be a big issue of design research. However, it is too big problem to be treated in this presentation. For now, this presentation focuses in what is design originally as an essential ability of human being.

3. Hisataka Noguchi IASDR 2013 Tokyo ●Why Vygotsky now? L. S. Vygotsky（1896-1934）was excellent psychologist of Soviet Union and famous as a competitor of J. Piaget in arguments on the developmental psychology. He proposed that the specific feature of human intelligent behavior is using medium between the subject and the objective circumstance for understanding and modifying it. This indirect relation makes him/her capable abstract thinking and communicate each other by managing language.

4. Hisataka Noguchi IASDR 2013 Tokyo ●Vygotsky’s “thinking unit” Vygotsky proposed that basic human intelligent behavior can be represented as triangular relations of <Subject>, <Medium> and <Object>. This triangle forms “basic unit” of human thinking. The author tried to make a model of design thinking on the basis of this basic unit. Medium Object Subject

5. Hisataka Noguchi IASDR 2013 Tokyo Internal world External world Design thinking as a problem solving ●Feature of biological life form homeostasis All life form of biological world is in seeking dynamic equilibrium (homeostasis) between circumstance and inside of cell. Most of creature overcome directly incompatibility between internal world and external world.

6. Hisataka Noguchi IASDR 2013 Tokyo Subject’s goal mind (S) ●Basic thinking unit of Human “problem solving” Subjective world (Internal world) Objective world (External world) Means to solve problem (M) Search means Use M for solving Recognize “problem” Incompatible situation (O) Solved (get compatibility)

7. Hisataka Noguchi IASDR 2013 Tokyo ● Functional relation between goal and means Human problem solving can be said as finding process of means that has suitable function to be able to accomplish the goal. The functional relation between goal and means can be formulated as: m = f(g) Where m: means (tool) to solve the problem g: assumed goal situation f: functional relation between goal and means In this case, word “function” includes not only physical function but also physiological function and psychological function.

8. Hisataka Noguchi IASDR 2013 Tokyo ●Design thinking as searching suitable means Design thinking is core part of the human problem solving. After the subject recognize incompatibility and represents it as “problem”, at first, subject starts searching for means to accomplish goal in existing instances. If it cannot be obtained from existing instances, then he/she must create it and design thinking is started. The search for means is composed of bi-directional process. At first, the designer tries to generate an image of means in his/her brain, then he/she represents it to be recognizable.

9. Hisataka Noguchi IASDR 2013 Tokyo (Subjective world) (Objective world) ●Basic unit of design thinking Represented Means (Mr) Search and represent Tentative Apply M=f(g) Recognize Mr Assumed result (Oa) Goal minded subject (Sg) Evaluate Incompatible situation (Op) Recognize “problem”

10. Hisataka Noguchi IASDR 2013 Tokyo ● The position of design thinking in human problem solving Represented problem requisition Mp Problem Grasping Describe Check coincidence recognize Sp Op Problem find Incompatible situation Represented tentative means Design thinking Mr Search and Recognize Tentative apply Abstracting Embodying Evaluate Sg Oa Assumed result Goal seeking Realized means (designed object) Producing Ma Make use Solved Sa Os Physical action Modified situation

11. Hisataka Noguchi IASDR 2013 Tokyo Feature of creative thinking ●Paradox as a feature of creative thinking Goal oriented thinking (Converging process) Generative expressing (Divergent thinking) Applying (Convergent thinking) Medium Object Subject Verifying/Evaluating (Convergent thinking)

12. Hisataka Noguchi IASDR 2013 Tokyo ●Strategy of overcoming the paradox Internal world (personality =fixation) Internal world ⊂ external world External world (including his/her sketches)

13. Hisataka Noguchi IASDR 2013 Tokyo Conclusion • Design thinking can be grasped as core part of human problem solving which generally forms triangular relation with Subject, Object and Medium. • According to this grasp, design thinking can be described as searching suitable functional relation of goal and means in multi-ordered trial-and-error processes. • Also according to this grasp, creative thinking can be described as paradoxical thinking process for new solution between Subjective world and Objective situation.

14. Hisataka Noguchi IASDR 2013 Tokyo Conclusion • If modern civilization is missing balance between artifacts world and natural environment, there may be miss orientation in grand designing of our society. • The author will try to analyze this problem and inspects background of it in next chance if I have. Thanks for your attention !

15. Hisataka Noguchi IASDR 2013 Tokyo References [1] Yuji Yonemori: Peirce’s Semiology (“Pa-su no Kigougaku” in Japanese), KeisoSyobo Press, 1983. [2] L. S. Vygotsky: Thinking and Language (“Shikou to Gengo” in Japanese), YoshimatsuSibata trans to Japanese, Shin DokusyoSya, 2008. [3] J. S. Gero: I. Smith (ed.), Artificial Intelligence in Structural Engineering, pp.165-177, Springer, Berlin, 1998. [4] H. Noguchi: Intention and Creativity in Design (“Dezainniokeru Ito to Souzousei” in Japanese), J. of the Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence (Special Issue of Wide Spectrum of Research in Intention) Vol.20, No.4, pp. 379-386, 2005 [5] H. Simon: The Structure of Ill Structured Problem, Complex Information Processing Working Paper No. 234, 1973. [6] C. Alexander: Notes on the Synthesis of Form, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1964.

16. Hisataka Noguchi IASDR 2013 Tokyo [7] R. A. Finke, T. B. Ward and S. M. Smith: Creative Cognition, The MIT Press, 1992. [8] B. Lawson: How Designer Think (second edition), Butter-worth-Architecture, 1990. [9] M. Suwa, J. S. Gero and T. Purcell: Unexpected discovery and S-invention of design requirements; important vehicles for a design process, Design Studies, Vol.21, No.6, 2000, pp.536-567. [10] R. Oxman: The thinking eye - visual re-cognition in design emergence, Design Stud-ies Vol.23, No.2, 2002, pp.135-164. [11] G. Goldschmidt: On visual design thinking – the vis kids of architecture, Design Studies Vol.15, No.2, 1994, pp.158-174. [12] H. Noguchi and Y. Nagai: On the Implicit Intention in the Incubation and Pre-Inventive Structure of Creative Design Thinking, Proc. of Future Ground (Design Research Society’s International Conference), Vol.2, CD-ROM page 616f.pdf, Monash University, Melbourne, 2004.