Design Thinking: Understanding how designers think and work

✍ Scribed by Nigel Cross

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Visual Arts
• Year: 2023
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 201
• Edition: 2
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

What do designers do during the activity of 'designing'? How are creative thinking skills employed? What is design ability and how is it developed?

Nigel Cross, one of design's foremost scholars, explores through observation, analysis and reflection the often enigmatic elements of design thinking. Detailed case studies provide commentary on specific examples of design innovation and development, with interspersed chapters providing research-based overviews of design cognition.

This new edition expands on the previous book with more emphasis on teamwork and co-design, and updated and expanded case studies and examples - including the development of a Formula One car and a backpack for mountain biking - as well as a new glossary of key terms.

Written for all those wanting to understand more about how good designers work, regardless of discipline.

✦ Table of Contents

Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction
The design of this book
Chapter 1: Design ability
Studying design ability
Asking designers about what they do
Deconstructing what designers do
Watching what designers do
Thinking about what designers do
Understanding what designers do
Summary
Sources
Chapter 2: Designing to win
Background: Formula One designing
Radical innovation
Self-adjusting suspension
Pit stops
Designing from first principles
Steering column
Integrated design
City car
Learning from failure
Design process and working methods
Chapter 3: Designing to please
Background: The art of technical design
Looking for improvement
Sewing machine
Going beyond the brief
Locomotive
Learning from failure
Design process and working methods
Chapter 4: How designers think
Motivation and attitude
Other outstanding designers
Common features
Strategic thinking
Creative thinking
Problem framing
Co-evolution
Summary
Sources
Chapter 5: Designing to use
The experiment
Design in action
Systems view
First principles
Designing for clients and users
Discussion: Design strategy
Chapter 6: Designing together
Teamwork in design
Roles and relationships
Planning and changing activities
Gathering and sharing information
Generating and adopting concepts
Plastic tray
Persuasion
Avoiding and resolving conflicts
Discussion: Design cooperation
Chapter 7: How designers work
Creative working
Team working
Team leadership
Design process
Structure versus spontaneity
Collaborative designing
Creative designing
The creative bridge
Summary
Sources
Chapter 8: Design expertise
Experts and novices
From novice to expert
Development of expertise
Developing design thinking
Expertise in teamwork
Experience
Design intelligence
The designing brain
Summary
Sources
Glossary
References
Index