7 Key Theories of Design

We have carefully curated and selected the 7 most important theoretical concepts in design theory, together they constitute the paradigm of design at Aalborg University.

We bring an overview of these fundamental theories and provide a coherent and concise explanation of how they are interdependent. This unfolds the relativity of design, as each element constitutes a part of design that is not visible but influences, and is influenced by, the other elements.

These invisible elements are essential and powerful – in fact, we see them as strong theoretical concepts that come to life as the forces of design. Through several years of research, we have gotten it narrowed down to 7 distinct key theories: 1) wicked problems, 2) co-evolution of problem and solution, 3) framing, 4) abductive reasoning, 5) reflection in- and on-action, 6) visual representations, 7) situating – which is the magic we teach our designers.

 

 

The Design Lab Materials Series is practice-oriented research material from AAU Design Lab, Aalborg University.

The main idea of ​​the Design Lab Materials series is to communicate design research in concrete terms. The vision is to give tangible knowledge input back to society. The goal is to communicate results from the researchers' systematic work with design education and research projects in an accessible format.

The series contains various formats: textbooks, reports, handbooks, etc. The material is research-based, typically targeted at either:
1) Design students, especially from Industrial Design, Aalborg University.
2) Companies, other actors and organizations with an interest in responsible design.
3) Ordinary people interested in design.

The Design Lab Material Series is Open Access and is published by Aalborg University Open Publishing.

Series editors:
Associate Professor Linda Nhu Laursen
Associate Professor Christian Tollestrup

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[LINK] (Merriam-Webster, 2022): Accessed 03.07.2022/https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/deduction-vs-induction-vs-abduction#:~:text=Deductive%20reasoning%2C%20or%20deduction%2C%20is,observation%2C%20often%20of%20a%20sample.