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On the imaginative constructivist nature of design: a theoretical approach

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Abstract

Most empirical accounts of design suggest that designing is an activity where objects and representations are progressively constructed. Despite this fact, whether design is a constructive process or not is not a question directly addressed in the current design research. By contrast, in other fields such as Mathematics or Psychology, the notion of constructivism is seen as a foundational issue. The present paper defends the point of view that forms of constructivism in design need to be identified and integrated as a foundational element in design research as well. In fact, a look at the literature reveals at least two types of constructive processes that are well embedded in design research: first, an interactive constructivism, where a designer engages a conversation with media, that allows changing the course of the activity as a result of this interaction; second, a social constructivism, where designers need to handle communication and negotiation aspects, that allows integrating individuals’ expertise into the global design process. A key feature lacking these well-established paradigms is the explicit consideration of creativity as a central issue of design. To explore how creative and constructivist aspects of design can be taken into account conjointly, the present paper pursues a theoretical approach. We consider the roots of constructivism in mathematics, namely the Intuitionist Mathematics, in order to shed light on the original insights that led to the development of a notion of constructivism. Intuitionists describe mathematics as the process of mental mathematical constructions realized by a creative subject over time. One of the most original features of intuitionist constructivism is the introduction of incomplete objects into the heart of mathematics by means of lawless sequences and free choices. This allows the possibility to formulate undecided propositions and the consideration of creative acts within a formal constructive process. We provide an in-depth analysis of intuitionism from a design standpoint showing that the original notion is more than a pure constructivism where new objects are a mere bottom-up combination of already known objects. Rather, intuitionism describes an imaginative constructivist process that allows combining bottom-up and top-down processes and the expansion of both propositions and objects with free choices of a creative subject. We suggest that this new form of constructivism we identify is also relevant in interpreting conventional design processes and discuss its status with respect to other forms of constructivism in design.

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Notes

  1. It should be noted, however, that LEM holds in finite domains and the reject concerns mainly infinity: “Of greater theoretical interest is the fact that LEM is also held to be valid in cases where one is operating in a strictly finite domain. The reason for this is that every construction of a bounded finite nature in a finite mathematical system can only be attempted in a finite number of ways, and each attempt can be carried through to completion, or to be continued until further progress is impossible. It follows that every assertion of possibility of a construction of a bounded finite character can be judged. So, in this exceptional case, application of the principle of the excluded third is permissible.” Heyting [12].

  2. Let us remark that although some controversies have arisen out of this formalization, this poses no problem for the needs of the current discussion.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Joop Niekus, Mark van Atten, Anne-Françoise Schmid, Thomas Gillier, Armand Hatchuel and the anonymous referees for helpful comments on earlier versions.

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  1. Centre de Gestion Scientifique, Design Chair, Mines ParisTech, 60, Bd. Saint-Michel, 75272, Paris Cedex 06, France

    Akın O. Kazakçı

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Kazakçı, A.O. On the imaginative constructivist nature of design: a theoretical approach. Res Eng Design 24, 127–145 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00163-012-0150-0

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