are very open to all kinds of experience, particularly
some degree by everyone. What I attempted
which does not seem appropriate. It seems
influences relevant to their design problem. Their
to show is that design ability is a multifaceted
reasonable, therefore, to try to separate out
awareness is high. They are sensitive to nuances
cognitive skill. What I have also tried to show
design ability as a form of intelligence in its
in their internal and external environments. They
is that there are particular, ‘designerly’, ways
own right.
are ready, in many ways, to notice particular
of thinking and working, that set design apart
coincidences in the rhythm of events which other
from other forms of cognitive skill.9
people, because they are less aware and less open
From case studies of design activity we have seen that good designers have a
to their experience, fail to notice. These designers
In fact, it seems possible to make a reasonable
way of thinking that involves operating
are able to recognise opportunities in the way
claim that design ability is a form of natural
seamlessly across different levels of detail,
coincidences offer prospects and risks for attaining
intelligence, of the kind that psychologist
from high-level systemic goals to low-level
some desirable goal or grand scheme of things.
Howard Gardner identified. Gardner’s view
physical principles. Rather than solving
They identify favourable conjectures and become
is that there is not just one form of intelligence
merely ‘the problem as given’, they apply
deeply involved, applying their utmost efforts,
(as conventionally identified in forms of
their intelligence to the wider context and
sometimes ‘quite forgetting’ other people and/or
‘intelligence tests’), but several, relatively
suggest imaginative, apposite solutions that
things only peripherally involved.
autonomous human intellectual competences.
resolve conflicts and uncertainties. They
He distinguished six forms of intelligence:
have cognitive skills of problem framing, of
So, for outstanding designers, at least,
•
linguistic
gathering and structuring problem data and
design thinking is an absorbing, demanding,
•
logical-mathematical
creating coherent patterns from the data that
sometimes obsessional activity.
•
spatial
indicate ways of resolving the issues and
•
musical
suggest possible solution concepts. Design
•
bodily-kinaesthetic
intelligence involves an intense, reflective
•
personal.
interaction with representations of problems
7
Design Intelligence
10
In an early paper reflecting on some of the
Aspects of design ability seem to be spread
and solutions, and an ability to shift easily and
first studies and investigations into design
through these various forms of intelligence
rapidly between concrete representations and
activity and designer behaviour, I tried to
in a way that does not always seem entirely
abstract thought, between doing and thinking.
begin to clarify and categorize the nature
satisfactory. For example, spatial abilities in
Good designers also apply constructive
of design thinking. I summarized design
problem-solving are classified by Gardner
thinking not only in their individual work but
thinking as comprising abilities of resolving
under spatial intelligence, whereas many
also in collaboration in teamwork.
ill-defined
8
solution-
other aspects of practical problem-solving
focussed cognitive strategies, employing
ability (including examples from engineering)
abductive or appositional thinking and using
are
bodily-kinaesthetic
The nature of design intelligence becomes
non-verbal modelling media. I suggested that
intelligence. So in this classification, for
particularly – and tragically – highlighted
these abilities are highly developed in skilled
example, the inventor’s competence is placed
in rare cases where it is impaired by
designers, but also that they are possessed in
together with that of the dancer and the actor,
neurological damage in the brain, such as
problems,
adopting
classified
under
43