Interpretation in design: Modelling how the situation changes during design activity

Abstract This paper presents a model of the way that designers move between situations when interpreting during design activity. Three hypotheses are presented that arise from this model: that designers change their situation during interpretation, that small changes in a source can lead to large changes in the representation, and that changes to the situation have their origins in the experience of the designer. The paper demonstrates how this internal movement between situations can be computationally implemented using three examples. The systems implemented demonstrate the way that interpretation can lead to changes in the situation and present an example of how the changes to a designer’s situation can be guided by past experiences