Improving design processes through structured reflection : case studies

The approach to and results of the empirical study Isabelle Reymen performed at the beginning of her Ph.D. research project is described. The aim of the project was to develop domain-independent descriptive and prescriptive design knowledge. Because the literature did not offer enough information to develop domain-independent design knowledge that is based on several disciplines, she has chosen to get input from the design practice. The empirical study has been performed to explore the design practice and to inventory the most important characteristics of design processes in several disciplines. Design projects of junior and experts designers in the disciplines architecture, software engineering, and mechanical engineering have been studied in the form of case studies. The results of the performed cross-case analysis have been a basis for the development of descriptive design knowledge. Final descriptive results, described in the Ph.D. thesis of Isabelle Reymen, are a design philosophy and a design frame. The goal of this report is to offer researchers more information about the performed empirical study and its results. The report includes two main parts: the first part concerns the performed case studies; the second part concerns the cross-case analysis that followed the cases studies. The first part includes an explanation of the choice for case studies as a form of empirical research, a description of the case study protocol, and a discussion about the selection of the cases. It also contains summaries of the different cases and a description of the results. The second part describes the approach to and the results of the cross-case analysis. More about the Ph.D. project and its results can be found in the thesis, which is also published as SAI Report 2001/1