Design Methods is a broad area that focuses on:
- Divergence – Exploring possibilities and constraints of inherited situations by applying critical thinking through qualitative and quantitative research methods to create new understanding (problem space) toward better design solutions
- Transformation – Redefining specifications of design solutions which can lead to better guidelines for traditional and contemporary design activities (architecture, graphic, industrial, information, interaction, et al.) and/or multidisciplinary response
- Convergence – Prototyping possible scenarios for better design solutions that incrementally or significantly improve the originally inherited situation
- Sustainability – Managing the process of exploring, redefining and prototyping of design solutions continually over time
- Articulation - the visual relationship between the parts and the whole.
The goal of design methods is to gain key insights or unique essential truths resulting in more holistic solutions in order to achieve better experiences for users with products, services, environments and systems they rely upon. Insight, in this case, is clear and deep investigation of a situation through design methods, thereby grasping the inner nature of things intuitively.
Read more about Design Methods: Background of Design Methods, Current State of Design Methods
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
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