Design as a Perception-in-Action Process

Abstract

Design thinking is thinking in variety and in new semantic and materialcombinations. To think about the possibilities, the designer needs toliberate himself from routines of perception. This liberation is thebasis for all innovative design. Taking into account the dominant roleof a deliberately orientated perception in the creative design process,we consider design as a Perception-in-Action Process. The name of ourmodel is based on the methodological design paradigm proposed by Schon,the `Reflective Practice' with it's Reflection-in-Action Process. ThePerception-in-Action Process is divided into five procedures which arenot linear but intersecting each other: the perception of the task, theperception of a new perspective, the perception of new semanticcombinations, the perception in prototyping and the perception of users'reaction. At the end of the paper we will identify some strategies todevelop students' perception in design education.