Does the Solution Based Design Process Result in More Multifunctional Designs?

DS 86: Proceedings of The Fourth International Conference on Design Creativity,Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

Year: 2016
Editor: Julie Linsey, Maria Yang, and Yukari Nagai
Author: Ashok, Goel; William, Hancock; Keith Frazer; Christian, Tuchez
Series: ICDC
ISBN: 978-1-904670-82-7

Abstract

Biological systems in general are multifunctional and environmentally sustainable. Thus, biologically inspired design is posited as leading to multifunctional and environmentally sustainable designs. Design in general is characterized as a problem-driven process. However, biologically inspired design also entails the twin process of solution-based design. Previous work has postulated that the solution-based design process is prone to design fixation but leads to more multifunctional designs. Design Study Library (DSL) is a digital library of eighty-three cases of biologically inspired design. We present a preliminary analysis of the DSL case studies to examine two hypotheses. (1) The process of solution-based design results in more multifunctional designs than the problem-driven design process. (2) The process of solution-based design is more prone to fixation than the problem-driven design process. We find strong evidence in favor of the first hypothesis.

Keywords: Biologically inspired design, design fixation, multifunctional design, solution-based design