ADOPTION OF A SYSTEMATIC DESIGN PROCESS: A STUDY OF COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL INFLUENCES ON DESIGN

This paper presents an ethnographic case study of an engineering design team during the development and implementation of a systematic design process. Prior to this study the team had used only ad-hoc and informal design strategies. The team was observed for 12 months after implementation of the new process, during which time two subsequent versions of the design process were developed and released in response to observations and team feedback. The findings of this study highlight the way in which cognitive and social factors may have a strong influence on the design process in teams, and should therefore be given greater consideration in the future development of design methods and processes as well as in design education.