Many Models of Design

Introduction

In “Many Models of Design” students explore “How do you design?: A Compendium of Design Models” by Hugh Dubberly. The Dubberly Compendium is an amazing resource that compiles over one hundred design process models. Through their exploration, students are introduced to the idea that design is plural, not monolithic.

Design models vary:

In their level of detail
In their shape
In the level or type of iteration present
etc.

The four models shown here are found on page 25, 114, 122, and 126 respectively.

Why do this activity?

The purpose of this activity is to help students see the broad nature of design process models and expand their vision from the singular models they may have learned in classes. Through this activity students may realize that their own way of doing design is as authentic as any model in the Dubberly Compendium.

This activity can help students:

See interesting, unique, and even confusing design models.
Find inspiration from these numerous design models.
Begin to develop an awareness of their own design process.
Think about how their own design processes are or aren’t aligned with these models.

Materials needed

Students’ personal devices (ideally a larger screen size than a smartphone)
Wi-fi connection
A link to the online Dubberly Compendium PDF
A copy of our “working” Google Slide deck

Setting up the activity

Make a copy of our “working” Google Slide deck, and share it with your students so they can edit the slide deck. During the activity, students will write their responses into this slide deck for the class to see.
We’ve divided the compendium into five sections, and during the activity each student group will view one of these sections:
1. Section 1
  1. Introducing process (p. 11- 18)
  2. Analysis vs. Synthesis (p. 19 - 28)
2. Section 2
  1. Academic models (p. 29 - 60)
3. Section 3
  1. Consultant models (p. 61-66)
  2. Software development models (p. 67 - 81)
4. Section 4
  1. Complex linear models (p. 82 - 114)
  2. Cyclic models (p. 115 - 131)

Doing the activity

Divide your class into groups of 3-4 students. Count off to assign each group a number from 1 to 4. Their number corresponds to the sections we’ve provided in “Setting up the activity,”
Send students the link to the “working” slide deck, and have groups browse the compendium for 5-10 minutes. Have groups choose 2 or 3 models that are compelling to them, from their sections.
Once they choose their models, give groups 10 minutes to make a copy of the template activity slide in the “working” slide deck and upload a screenshot of the models to that slide. Groups should make a few notes to briefly describe what they found compelling about the models they chose. They can use the following prompts: some text
1. Why did you choose this model?
2. What attributes of this model are compelling? (for example, the shape, the flow)
3. What does this model allow you to see, or not see, about a design process?
Have a 5 minute classroom discussion where groups share their thoughts about the Dubberly Compendium.

Instructor Tips and Advice

Narrower scope: It may be overwhelming to look at the Dubberly Compendium at first. In this activity we offered each group a particular section to look at. In other iterations, we’ve narrowed it down further to give them a specific selection of around 20 design models to choose from. Depending on your students’ openness or clarity of understanding around design models, it may be more helpful to use a narrower selection from the compendium.

‍Embrace the “weird”: Some design models, such as Vredenburg’s user-centered design process on page 76 or Pahl and Beitz’ design process on page 33, look so different from a “standard” design model. Don’t shy away from these models! Not only do they allow your students to notice the expansiveness of design model visualizations, but they also offer unique lenses through which that particular designer viewed their own designs.