DESIGN AS A PROBLEMS SOLUTION

Design can be viewed as a strategy of problem solving in which creative ability utilizes arts &
science to generate solutions to problem situations. Designers solve problems in many different
ways; however, they go through a pattern or sequence of steps that they have previously
found effective for achieving their designs from conception to completion. The design
process may be a conscious or subconscious effort the designers use on almost every project.
Design process and methodology play a key role in the development of innovative design
solutions for many architects. Many studies have been written on design methodologies, these
studies critically analyze, evaluate, compare, and propose alternative methods for creative
problem solving to help designers understand their own style and to offer new alternatives for
achieving solutions. Further, the motivation for the research stems from the observation that each
architect uses his own conceptual frameworks that can assist in setting boundaries and
framing reasonable objectives, they can also enhance communication among an extended
network of collaborators.

Introduction The methodology of Design process and Strategic thinking play a key role in
the development of innovative design solutions for many architects. Design methodology
emerged in the 1960s as an independent scientific discipline. Design methodologists have been
moving away from ‘drawings and patterns’ in the notion of design, although it is perhaps still a
common action of designers of all kinds. Since the literature on design methods began to appear,
design methodology has become an independent discipline. Many studies have been written on
design methodologies, these studies critically analyze, evaluate and propose alternative methods
for creative problem solving to help designers understand their own style and to offer
new alternatives for achieving solutions. Many designers, when probed for reasons to explain
their actions, are unable to provide explanations that give the right descriptions of their actions.
Under this model the design process assumes as a “Mystical” phenomenal. Therefore, the act
of designing in architecture is a complex process. Further, the motivation for the research stems
from the observation that each architect uses his own conceptual frameworks that can assist in
setting boundaries and framing reasonable objectives.

Research problem Summarized in the existence of an expanding phenomenon within Architects

and we cannot ignore it, which is the “Inspiration from existing buildings as a method”, the

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problem is that some of architects are experiencing difficulty getting inspired from existing
buildings. Thus, sometimes the result of this process looks more like Copy-paste rather than
conscious inspiration.

Research Questions during design process:

1. What methods are used by designers?

2. Does one method better than another, constitute ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ ways to design?

3. Do different Methods lead to different qualities of results?

4. Do we know How to filter out relevant knowledge with abundance of information?

5. Do we know how to choose and use the right “Inspirational Sources” in a way that enhances
our buildings as the “Planning Process Generator to design high quality creative architecture?

Jones, J. Christopher cited that the design process does not represent the process of creating,
but based on the principle of derivation of the final structure of elementary introductions, and the
relevance of these introductions and the final structure depends on three primary operations:
First, gathering information: to include the collection of information along with how to organize,
analyze and make sure they relate to the design position, and that such information be integrated.
in the image Second, testing: include the design decisions through the process of representing the
intellectual capabilities and intuitive, and personal experience of the designer Third, evaluation
process: include judgment on the appropriateness of these decisions to the problem of
design. And he described also the Design process as a very complex process which contains
two types of intellectual activities:

Unconscious intellectual activities: which related to the designer’s intellectual and creative
abilities.

Conscious intellectual activities: This related to the designer’s rationality and logical abilities.

Intellectual Ideological approaches for design process, It means the intellectual method that
is used by the designer in dealing with any design problem. Nature of solving a design problems.
The complexity of issues involved in solving a design problem requires different types of

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thinking throughout the design process. Solving a design problem requires problem-solving
strategies (follow some sequential processes) and creative efforts to reach a solution. The
nature of the design process changes from traditional to creative to innovative depending on
many factors, including. The quality of the design problem that may be determined from the
beginning to impose specific solutions. The nature of the content and whether natural or physical
environment for the surrounding buildings Capacity, expertise and self- inventory of knowledge
for the designer, which focuses on the creative side. Other actors involved in the design process
(owner, user, and specialized agencies).

Historical overview about the design process. The Traditional vision of the design process. A
lot of theorists wrote about the design process stages, the Royal British Institute of Architecture
one of the educational institutions, which focused on the disclosure of the design process
nature and stages, and they described the design process as a "two-dimensional process" : The
first dimension (the sequential stages of design process) and The second dimension (the
decision-making process). The first dimension (the sequential stages of design process) A
vertical time line formulation reflects the sequential stages of design process from identifying the
problem and put the poworked and studied the design process trying to put some main sequential
stages for the architects to follow it in their designs to achieve successful architectural outcomes.
The architect’s views regarding the stages of the design process varied and the following is
some architectural models for the design process stages and sequence: On the other hand there
are two types of design thinking: the implicit approach & the explicit approach, the following is
a comparison between both of them according to the concept upon which this approach is built,
the process that each one of them follow and the effect and final result for each one of them.

knowledge which is responsible for presenting a solution. It involves problem solving,

designing, and decision making in the model of the design process (Mahmoodi, 2001). Problem
Solving: Students need to collect information and formulating the Problem in its wide range,
sensing and researching the Problem, find ways of responding to those problems, finding
alternatives and different ideas. Finally, choosing the Solution. Designing: This part includes
Imagining and formulating a Goal and focus on it, Students need to invent a new approaches for
producing solutions. And develop deeper criteria for evaluating the work in-process. Finally,
revising the Product. Decision Making: In this stage students need to generate alternative

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design solutions, assg the Consequences and visually explore the effects of their visual
decisions on the final solution. Making a choice and appropriate decisions which are not solely
based on personal taste, then evaluating the Choices. Logical Thinking Approach Logical
thinking could be defined as being of recognized knowledge which is responsible for
understanding a problem. It involves Analyzing, criticizing, and comparing in the model of the
design process.

• Analyzing: Students need to demonstrate their verbal ideas in a visual/spatial manner

and Patterns. Identifying assumptions about the problem, classifying various collected data.
Students need to identify their major objectives and ideas of solving a problem and finding
Sequences. Students need to record all of their design ideas and develop their ideas based on the
old ones. Criticizing: To develop criteria of evaluating students work, Students need to
assess their work, in addition to the educators' assessments, also determining some major
criteria for developing solutions. Students need to recognising Fallacies and Looking for weak
points for developing solutions. Also students need to verify the appropriateness of their
solutions. Comparing: Students need to compare their solutions with others and to develop
reasonably logical solutions for all design problems. Then the students need to infer the
relative success of their solution. Students need also to identify the causal reasons in their
thinking process. Creative Thinking for idealising solutions Creative thinking is suggested by
the Author to be under the dominance of right hemisphere, responsible for intuitive, visual, and
simultaneous thinking during the design process. The Author defines Creative thinking as being
of generated knowledge which is responsible for idealising a solution (Mahmoodi, 2001). It
involves Synthesising, Elaborating and Imagining in his model of the design process. With
regards to creative thinking, the following lists of activities are suggested by the Author to be
considered by students and educators of design during the design process.

• Synthesising:. Students need to implement some design types which would help them generate
solutions and to apply some design strategies to exercise their design ideas so they can prepare a
plan of work to generate ideas.

• Elaborating: Students need to be able to expand their initial ideas and modify the initial as
well as newly generated ideas to extend on the ideas which are generated by others. So

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they can be able to shift their perspectives and viewpoints and not stick with one idea to
develop concrete ideas.

• Imagining: Students need to develop fluent responses to problem to predict the final solution
and its effects, in order to visualize and speculate on their solutions. Besides they need to trust
their judgments and decisions.