ARCH1372 - Reading 2 :: An Ontology of Donald Schön’s Reflection in Designing

An Ontology of Donald Schön’s Reflection in Designing

John S Gero, Udo Kannengiesser

Key Centre of Design Computing and Cognition University of Sydney 2006


Gero and Kannengiesser present an articulated model of the design process primarily informed by the work of Donald Schön, in particular his notion of “reflection in action” within the design process. Gero and Kannengiesser identify two branches of this design model, the “functional” and “mechanistic” modes of reflection, dividing the critical design elements of “Function” “Behavior” and “Structure” and exploring the interplay between these elements within the mind of the designer, in three phases of “External” “Interpreted” and “Expected” outcomes for the design to exist. It is my understanding that Gero and Kannengiesser’s primary distinction between “functional” and “mechanistic” modes of reflection pertain to where the reflection is placed within the mind of the designer. In the “functional” model, reflection primarily occurs after action has taken place from the designer, altering design choices based on drafting, whereas the “mechanistic” model implies that the designer reflects on their wealth of experience in order to move systematically toward a refined design objective. I can particularly relate to the reflective design processes described here. Though much of the reflection in my design process is ‘functional’ in the execution stage, I aspire to work more ‘mechanistically’.