Bringing ideas back to the evolution of design

This thesis is an exploration into the evolution of design. It attempts to develop an awareness of the effectiveness of what we do as designers and users to improve design. To achieve this purpose, it elaborates on some of the implications of paradigms which have emerged in design evolution. It presents some of the evolutionary theories and their analogies. These theories and analogies develop a view of design evolution - a conception of design as a process which moves from a lower to a higher state. With this conception, concern is directed at the identification of past and current design processes. An attempt is made to elaborate prescriptive and descriptive theories of design studies. For the identification of the higher state of design the characteristics of an ideal design are elucidated. The broader aim, to which the author hopes this thesis will contribute, is to design a process (the order of actions) which helps achieve the ideals of design. This study brings in ideas on how to achieve the ideals of design. The purpose is to inquire into the essence of the ideals behind the process which plays out the ultimate freedom in design inquiry through design education, practice and theory