Intuition in the Design Process

The vast spectrum of unique outcomes and innovative solutions found within the realm of architectural design suggests the field of architecture to be stirring with creative potential. When one first looks at these creative outcomes, it would appear that the designer arrived at a creative solution instinctively or intuitively. The designer often explains the process as intuitive or derived from a natural, unintentional sequence. The intention of this design thesis is to explicitly research intuition, understand intuition’s role in creativity, and critically apply these findings to an architectural design process. In order to research the seemingly inexplicable realm of intuition, a wide range of subjects and fields of study are to be considered critically. The fields of study to be analyzed include psychology, philosophy, and design in general. This widespread search for insight and gathering of information will lead to a more full understanding and appreciation for the powers of intuition and its connection to creativity. After fully understanding the relationship between intuition and creativity, one can move on to applying this knowledge toward an architectural process. In order to arrive at precedents for using intuition in a design process, several architects’ processes will be scrutinized for their use of intuition, whether intuition is used intentionally or not. A personal stance and theory will then be taken, in order to move forward and make use of the research material. This theory will be clearly demonstrated during the design process of an architectural project. To conclude the thesis, critical analysis of the project will be undergone to ultimately determine how intuition should be used in an architectural design process