Design process re-visited in the first year design studio: between intuition and reasoning

Among many perspectives in discussions of design, this study re-asserts the relation between intuition and reasoning. The aim is to comprehend the role of intuition and reasoning in the design process. In order to do this, retrospective self-reports of the first year, rule-based architectural design studio students were utilized. Based on these reports, students’ design activities were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. A mapping technique provided by Graph Commons, for data visualization, was further used. The results suggest that a rule-based design approach requires management of both rationale and intuition; and, those students who are better in charge of managing their rationale and intuition tend to receive higher grades.