Marcos Memo 4

Marcos Stafne
Logics Memorandum 4
March 4, 2008


Gero J.S. and Kannengiesser U. (submitted to journal) “An ontology of Donald Schön's reflection in designing.”
mason.gmu.edu/~jgero/publications/Progress/07GeroKannegiesserReflection.pdf



Gero and Kannengiesser cite an example of Donald Schön's “reflection-in-action” by posing an example of a student Schon examined who was designing a set of classrooms. In this example, Schon illustrates that the original design was perceived, while still in the design process, to be misguided by the student, and changes were made. Schon refers to each step of the design process as a “move experiment.” These “moves” are made through reflection of the action of designing. Gero and Kannengiesser dissect this action into “functional (observable data)” and “mechanistic (reflection as cognitive process with set of distinct properties)” views of reflection in the design process.

A model is created placing situated design within three spheres of existence: the interpreted world (how a designer “sees” the world through the senses), the expected world (the perceived outcomes that the designer frames his or her thinking in), and the external world (how the designer communicates thoughts and actions with the world). Action is what moves a designer from one world to the next.

In the function (what an object is)- behavior (what the object does) - structure (what the structure consists of), Gero and Kannengiesser examine how design is reflected upon within the interpreted, external, and expected worlds. This system for examination is useful in that allows for the intense study of the reflection process, and how designer are able to re-imagine constructions while in process. A useful application for this type of examination would be to create a system of checks and balances within the design process that allows for the designer to reflect upon what the expected world is looking for, and keep the designer from becoming tangential.