Abstract
Designers intuitive responses are often derived from their own experience, but there has been little research that studies the use of narratives rooted in designers’ lived experiences. This paper explores whether the use of narratives could help designers to work more effectively when generating product form. The approach to understanding how designers generate product form considers evidence that comes from observation, experiment, analysis, and reflection. I have drawn upon research literature and the works of contemporary and famous designers to consider the role of narratives in the design process. By building on this narrative schema, designers have discovered that design is not set apart from daily life but springs forth from the visual impressions of their experiences. According to the research results, the use of narrative helps designers to work more effectively on generating product form during the preliminary phase of the design process.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsNotes
- 1.
For Maldonado formal properties were not just external features, but they were also relations which convert an object into a coherent unity of both the producer and the user.
References
Alexander, C.: Notes on Synthesis of Form. Harvard University Press, Cambridge (1973)
Schneller, A.: Scratching the surface: “Appearance” as a bridging concept between ontology and design aesthetics. In: Vermass, P.E., Vial, S. (eds.) Advancement in the Philosophy of Design, pp. 33–49. Springer, Cham (2018)
Ritchy, T.: Wicked problems, modelling social messes with morphological analysis. AMG 2(1), 1–8 (2013). http://www.swemorph.com/pdf/wp.pdf
Goldschmidt, G.: The dialectics of sketching. Creativity Research Journal 4(2), 123–143 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419109534381
Sethi, S.: Every design tells a story. In: ICERI2015 Proceedings, pp. 6529–6535. Seville:IATED Publications (2015). https://library.iated.org/publications/ICERI2015
Maldonado, T.: Design education. In: Kepes, G. (ed.) Education of Vision, pp. 122–135. Studio Vista Ltd., London (1965)
Archer, B.: The Nature of Research into Design and Technology Education, pp. 18–26. UK (1992). http://idater.Iboro.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/AR_LP2_Bruce_Archer.pdf
Cross, N.: Designerly ways of knowing. Des. Stud. 221–227 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1016/0142-694X(82)90040-0
Arnheim, R.: Visual thinking. In: Kepes, G. (ed.) Education of Vision, pp. 1–14. Studio Vista Ltd., London (1965)
Goldschmidt, G.: The dialectics of sketching. Creativity Res. J. 4(2), 123–143 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419109534381
Suwa, M.T.: What do architects and students perceive in their design sketches? A protocol analysis. Design Studies 18(4), 385–403 (1997)
Schon, D.A.: The Reflective Practitioner. Basic Books, New York (1983)
Caplan, R.: Noah’s Archive: Why Designers Can Think, USA (2005). https://www.aiga.org/noah-s-archive-why-designers-can-think
deHarak, R.: Thoughts on modernism. In: Marsack, R.E. (ed.) Essays on Design, vol. 1, pp. 26–28. Booth- Clibborn Editions, London (1997)
Stirling, B.: Sci-Fi Writer Bruce Sterling Explains the Intriguing New Concept of Design Fiction (2012). http://www.slate.com/technology/2018/07/finding-alien-life-wont-be-a-sudden-event.html
Buchanan, R.: Review: metaphors, narratives, and fables in new design thinking. Design Issues, 78–82 (1990)
Sethi, S.: Every design tells a story. In: ICERI2015 Proceedings, pp. 6529–6535. IATED Publications, Seville (2015). https://library.iated.org/publications/ICERI2015
Cross, N.: Designerly ways of knowing. Des. Stud., 221–227 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1016/0142-694X(82)90040-0
Schon, D.A.: The Reflective Practitioner. Basic Books, New
Nadin, M.: Design and semiotics. In: Koch, W.A. (ed.) Semiotics in the Individual Sciences, vol. II, pp. 418–436. Brockmeyer, Bochum (1990)
Narayan, K.: Storytellers, Saints, and Scoundrels: Folk Narrative in Hindu Religious Teachings. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia (1989)
Carmel-Arthur, J.: Starck (Design Monograph). Carlton Publishing Group, London (1999)
Cross, N.: Design Thinking Understanding How Designers Think and Work. Bloomsbury Publishing Pte, London (2016)
Ibid, p 19
Schneller, A.: (2018), p 47
Polkinghorne, D.E.: Narrative Knowing and the Human Sciences. State University of New York, Albany (1988)
Ryan, M.L.: Avatars of Story. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis (2006)
Gausepohl, K.A.: The Storytelling + Design Framework: Design Guidance for the Concept Phase of Medical Device Design (Doctoral dissertation). Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State, Blacksburg (2012)
Lacruz-Rengel, R.: A Theory of Reference for Product Design: The Semantics of Product Ideation (Doctoral Thesis). Birmingham City University, Birmingham (2008)
Mendini, A.: La Fabbrica Estetica. Alessi, Crusinallo (1992)
Ibid, p 22
Morace, F.: The part and the whole. In: Mendini, A. (ed.) La Fabbrica Estetica, p. 85. Alessi, Crusinallo (1992)
Dewey, J.: Art as Experience. Penguin Group (USA) Inc., New York (2005)
Grimaldi, S., Fokkinga, S., Ocnarescu, I.: Narratives in Design: A Study of the Types. Applications and Functions of Narratives in Design Practice (2013). https://www.researchgate.net
Kaushik: The Gaudy South Indian Houses That Inspired Ettore Sottsass (2015). https://www.amusingplanet.com
Galvin, C.G.: Remembering Sottsass: From India to the Westcoast. Damn Magazine (2017). http://www.damnmagazine.net/2017/12/12/remembering-sottsass-2/
Finessi, B.: Giovanni Levanti. Retrieved from viafarini (2010). http://www.viafarini.org/english/shows/levanti.html
Lawson, B.: How Designers Think. Architectural Press, Oxford (2006)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Sethi, S. (2020). Role of Narratives in Visualizing Product Form. In: Fukuda, S. (eds) Advances in Affective and Pleasurable Design. AHFE 2019. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 952. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20441-9_31
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20441-9_31
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-20440-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-20441-9
eBook Packages: Intelligent Technologies and RoboticsIntelligent Technologies and Robotics (R0)