Philosophy of Design

HS 351

Objectives
Analysis of philosophical issues related to
design
Detailed examination of design theories.
Investigate issues in design-heuristics and
design-reasoning.

Learning Outcomes
Understand the nature and function of design
in society.
Intellectual appreciation of different schools
of thought in design.
Identify the methodological challenges in
design and develop ones own responses to
them.

Module 1
Introduction: What is design? Genealogy of
Design. Design as problem solving: Herbert
Simon. Design Schools: Bauhaus School: Louis
Sullivan, modernist approaches to design,
design as industry, priority to function.
Memphis School: Ettore Sottsass, postmodernist approaches, design as art, priority
to form.

Module 2
Heuristics of Design: Design problems: design
as a wicked problem. Super wicked problems.
Design aesthetics: evolutionary features in
design. Design and industry: applications of
modernist strategies. Product design: design
as production of artifacts for society.

Module 3
Reasoning in Design: Modal logic for design
process, ten modal patterns of inference in
design rationalization, Per Galle. Reducing
modality to quantification, von Wright. Nonmonotonous reasoning patterns in design.
Similarity relations and creativity: Examples
from design reasoning. Case studies

Module 4
Methodology of Design: The roots of design
methodology. Methodology of design and
methodology of science: Greg Bamford and
Karl Popper, analysis/synthesis and
conjecture/analysis similarity. Design theories
and society: case study of crypto anarchy and
the cyber-spatial possibilities.

Books
Cross, N (Ed.) (1984) Developments in Design Methodology.
Chichester: Wiley
Houkes, W., & Vermaas, P. E. (2010). Technical Functions: On the Use
and Design of Artefacts. Dordrecht: Springer.
March, L (Ed.). (1976). The Architecture of Form, Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Poel, I. v. d., & Goldberg, D. E. (Eds.). (2010). Philosophy and
Engineering: An Emerging Agenda. Dordrecht: Springer.
Simon, H. A. (1996). The Sciences of the Artificial (3rd ed.).
Cambridge MA: MIT Press.Ulrich, K, T. (2005) Design: Creation of
Artifacts in Society, Pennsylvania: The University of Pennsylvania
Press, 2005
Vermaas, P. E., Kroes, P., Light, A. & Moore S. A. (eds.). (2008).
Philosophy and Design: From Engineering to Architecture. Springer
Science.

Method of Teaching

Socratic

What is Philosophy?
Examination of assumptions behind beliefs
Nature, scope and structure of beliefs and
conventions
Critical thinking
An exercise in self-knowledge

What is Design?
A conception of the nature and function of an
artifact.
Courses of action aimed at changing existing
situations into preferred ones.

Philosophy of Design???
Study of the fundamental nature, scope and
structure of design

First Step Towards Philosophy of Design

First Step Towards Philosophy of

Design
Conceptualize / Imagine the details