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How Designers Think, Fourth Edition: The Design Process Demystified
 
 
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How Designers Think, Fourth Edition: The Design Process Demystified [Paperback]

Bryan Lawson (Author)
3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Book Description

December 14, 2005 0750660775 978-0750660778 4
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 forty years' research and shows the belief that we all can, and do, design, and that we can learn to design better. The creative mind continues to have the power to surprise and this book aims to nurture and extend this creativity. Neither the earlier editions, nor this book, are intended as authoritative prescriptions of how designers should think but provide helpful advice on how to develop an understanding of design.

In this fourth edition, Bryan Lawson continues to try and understand how designers think, to explore how they might be better educated and to develop techniques to assist them in their task. Some chapters have been revised and three completely new chapters added. The book is now intended to be read in conjunction with What Designers Know which is a companion volume. Some of the ideas previously discussed in the third edition of How Designers Think are now explored more thoroughly in What Designers Know. For the first time this fourth edition works towards a model of designing and the skills that collectively constitute the design process.

* A unique look at the psychology of the designer that provides a greater insight to the process of design
* 'Demystifies' the complexity of the subject and uncovers new ways that design can be done
* Conclusions are drawn from years of research and provide the very latest debate on the subject

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Editorial Reviews

Review

'An extremely readable book, due in part to the soundbite-sized chapters'
Architects Journal, 19.01.06

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
'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
'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...

Product Details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Architectural Press; 4 edition (December 14, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0750660775
  • ISBN-13: 978-0750660778
  • Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #776,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Interesting, but dense May 22, 2010
By Ninakix
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
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.
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Don't buy this book July 21, 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
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.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
radical constraints, design problems cannot, puzzle trap, primary generator, design conversations
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Design Studies, Michael Wilford, Eva Jiricna, John Wiley, Herman Hertzberger, Santiago Calatrava, Design Methods, Ian Ritchie, Lund Humphries, Richard Seymour, Architectural Press, Robert Venturi, Ken Yeang, George Sturt, Barnes Wallis, Richard Burton, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Mass, Gordon Murray, Richard Rogers, John Outram, Butterworth Architecture, Denise Scott Brown, Edward de Bono
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
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