Developing skills for solving complex design problems

Abstract

A study has been conducted of novice designer responses to problems of intermediate complexity. Responses were collected by means of a detailed questionnaire concerning the use of design thinking tools, the rate of information assimilation, the adequateness of educational preparation, the effectiveness of experience gained, and the areas in which substantial learning outcomes were achieved. Response data was obtained for two different groups of design teams (121 designers in all) working on two distinct projects: a Wind Farm overview design and a large-scale Gearbox design. A comparison is made between responses to these two sample projects, and possible reasons for differences are explored...