Hi Fil, Jan and Terry,
There is an interesting systematic means by which
design occurs that includes moving from what I would term the "known" (
planned elements, intent, knowledge, systems applications) into the "unknown"
( intuitive, artistic creativity, the <to-be-designed> aspects that we
cannot "know") and back again...this is at once "systematic" but also requires
a certain amount of suspension( of rational mind) during the process. I
would include here that design , to provide the "making a plan" a solution),
must also be evaluated( or judged) in its capacity to provide the
"right" means to an end ( the outcome of the design problem or issue at
hand), which we can try to predict but we cannot always know - witness the
recent landing of the shuttle Discovery.
I am working on this aspect of design in my own
work, and in more laymens' terms, if we consider design as a process
rather than one or the other approach, meaning that the design process is
iterative and contains both "known" and "unknown" aspects systematically
studied, then it contains both intuition and
intent.
my two cents worth....
( not a scientist!!).
Regards,
Tiiu
Poldma