How Designers Think, Third Edition [Paperback]

Bryan Lawson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 6, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0750630736 | ISBN-13: 978-0750630733 | Edition: 3

This third edition of 'How Designers Think' has been substantially rewritten following the second edition which was first published in 1990. Bryan Lawson has continued to try and understand how designers think, to explore how they might be better educated and to develop techniques, including computer-aided design, to assist them in their task. A completely new chapter on 'Designing with drawings' has been added and all the others have either been fully revised or wholly rewritten.

How Designers Think is based on Bryan Lawson's many observations of designers at work, interviews with designers and their clients and collaborators. This extended work is the culmination of twenty-five years' research and shows the author's belief that we all can learn to design better. The creative mind continues to have power to surprise and this book aims to nurture and extend this creativity. This book is not intended as an authoritative description of how designers should think but to provide helpful advice on how to develop an understanding of design.

'How Designers Think' will be of great interest, not only to designers seeking a greater insight into their own thought processes, but also to students of design in general from undergraduate level upward.

* An original look at the changing role of the designer in society
* Fully illustrated
* Completely new chapter on 'Designing with drawings'

Editorial Reviews

Review

Reviews of previous editions:
'It has a great virtue of being thorough and readable ... excellent bibliography.'
Built Environment.
'This book makes a valuable, if individualistic contribution to the literature of design theory.'
Science and Technology Press.
'I like the book because it is the sort of book I would not enjoy writing.'
Edward de Bono
'The author succeeds in demystifying his subject for the lay reader.'
New Scientist.

'The chapters are well written in a readable form and packed full of data undeniably valuable to students.'
ASI Journal

Reviews of this edition

"Its success is well deserved, because it is clearly written, the arguments are logically presented, and the design process is indeed demystified."
Architectural Science Review

Book Description

Gain insight into a designer's thought process... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Architectural Press; 3 edition (January 6, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750630736
• ISBN-13: 978-0750630733
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,417,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but dense, May 22, 2010

By 

Ninakix (Portola Valley, CA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: How Designers Think, Fourth Edition: The Design Process Demystified (Kindle Edition)

I enjoyed a lot of the points made in this book, however, there were a few problems with it. I found the book, at certain times, to be extremely thought-provoking about my own process, bringing to mind things that I may not have noticed if I hadn't read about it. Still, much of it felt architecture focused, and not entirely applicable to other disciplines. Additionally, Lawson seems overly academic, especially in that he does not want to propose a theory that could be seen as "wrong," meaning that what he proposes often falls on the side of boring. The book, as well, is dense, and definitely written by an Academic. Many times the points in the book are beleaguered, made too many times, and supported by one too many pieces of evidence. At times, I wish it was just a tad snappier in places.

3.0 out of 5 stars Tons of Info - Useful Conclusions: Not as Much, May 29, 2011

By 

Richard N. Stephenson "RichardStep | Creative... (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Designers Think, Fourth Edition: The Design Process Demystified (Paperback)

Pros: The author brought up many good points about the design process and how it has changed over the past few decades, which was a nice history lesson. I was introduced to many `famous' designers in this book and now have real people to research should I pursue this further. The insight into the designers' minds was inspiring and thought-provoking.

Cons: The author is a little gun-shy when it comes to making actual concrete decisions. I understand that there are no earthly absolutely, but you have to make a decision some time. No real conclusions were drawn other than ~those who are creative... are creative, but that we can all be that way if we stick to it~. Examples and postulates were stated frequently, and I would hazard to guess unnecessarily so.

Assessment: Worth a quick view if on sale, in the library, or at a friend's place. Would be kind of a stretch to pay the $24 on Amazon.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this book, July 21, 2010

By 

George T. Macknight "Tom MacKnight" (Pelzer, SC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How Designers Think, Fourth Edition: The Design Process Demystified (Paperback)

I was very disappointed with this book. Now, I'm a great collector of books on this subject line - thinking and problem solving. I'm an architect. I am forever curious as to how people think we designers think. I'm also interested in how to teach young designers to think, so I'm always looking for new tools. The discussion in this book doesn't really offer either for me. I found little that was accurate about how I design or even discussions on how people in general solve problems. I also found little that I might use to assist young designers even though the author claims to deal with young designers as a professor and an indication that the book was written for just such a purpose. Chapter Five, "Measurement, criteria and judgment" was pure unmitigated tripe. I forced myself to read this book and as a result of what I read I do not recommend that anyone buy this book. I wasted my money, don't waste yours. Instead, if I were to recommend one book for these purposes, I'd recommend "Sparks of Genius - Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World's Most Creative People" by Michele and Robert Bernstein.