Texts
- The Problem of Learning
- Problemistics Courseware
- Corso su Problemistica
- Resources Management
- Manuale/Intellettuale
- Campagna/Città
Problemistics - Problémistique - Problemistica
The Art & Craft of Problem Dealing
Visualizing
Interaction Matrix (J. Christopher Jones)
Interaction Matrix (Nigel Cross and Robin Roy)
Interaction Net (J. Christopher Jones)
Matrix (Mickey A. Palmer)
Diagram (Mickey A. Palmer)
New Combinations (Nigel Cross and Robin Roy)
Functions (John Luckman)
Functions (Ömer Akin)
Features (Ömer Akin)
Features (Jean-Michel Hoc)
Pitfalls (Jean-Michel Hoc)
Related Concepts : Icon – Index (Ellen Lupton)
Related Concept : Symbols (Herbert A. Simon)
[1970, revised edition 1982 ] J. Christopher Jones, Design Methods. Seeds of human future, John Wiley & Sons, New York
"Aim: To permit a systematic search for connections between elements within a problem.” (p. 300)
"Outline
1. Define the terms ‘element’ and ‘connection’ (in such a way that others would arrive at the same pattern of elements and connections as you would).
2. Set up a matrix in which every element can be compared with every other.
3. Decide, on some objective basis, whether or not there is a connection between each pair of elements."
(Method 5.1, p. 300)
[1975] Nigel Cross and Robin Roy, Design Methods Manual. The Open University, Milton Keynes
Interaction Matrix. “A method of exploring and setting out in chart form the interaction between a number of elements within a problem.”
"Procedure
(1) Define the term ‘element’ and ‘interaction’ as they apply to your problem, so that you can decide rationally the complete sets of elements and their interactions.
(2) Draw up a matrix which sets out the complete range of possible interactions between every pair of elements.
(3) Check for each pair of elements whether or not an interaction occurs and if so, enter it into the matrix."
Note: Interactions can be represented on a scale of values (e.g. 0 1 2 3 4 5, being 0 very low and 5 very high), as well as yes/no decisions (acceptable/not acceptable). (Interaction Matrix, p. 67)
[1970, Revised edition 1982] J. Christopher Jones, Design Methods. Seeds of human future, John Wiley & Sons, New York,
"Aim: To display the pattern of connections between elements within a design problem.”
"Outline
1. Define the term ‘element’ and ‘connection’ unambiguously.
2. Use an interaction matrix to discover which pairs of elements are connected.
3. Draw a graph of points, representing elements, linked by lines, representing connections. (This is more easily done if the points are first arranged in a circle).
4. Adjust the position of points to minimize line crossing and to clarify the pattern of the net."
Note: "The only advantage of a net over a matrix is the ease with which net patterns can be perceived and the problem understood. Matrices and nets are complementary ways of expressing a single set of relationships."
(Method 5.2, pp. 304-309)
[1981] Mickey A. Palmer, The Architect’s Guide to Facility Programming, The American Institute of Architects, Washington D.C.
“A matrix ... in its basic form consists of vertical columns intersecting horizontal rows.” "A train schedule is an example of what a matrix looks like and how it functions."
“The matrix enables a programmer to:
- organize calculations of relationships among several factors;
- record them in a systematic order;
- visualize the total system of relationships;
- perceive patterns among relationships for further analysis;
- display conclusive statements of relationship.” (Chapter 4, p. 121)
"A matrix is one of the most extensively used devices for identifying, defining and/or measuring the relationships among individual items of information."
“Among the types of information that may be processed by matrix are:
- Functional relationships;
- Organizational relationships;
- Space relationships (adjacency, proximity);
- Activity relationships;
- Activity to context relationships (e.g. adjacency to alley for service);
- Sensory conflict;
- Priority ranking of relationships;
- Correlations among variables.”
(Chapter 4, pp. 121-122)
[1981] Mickey A. Palmer, The Architect’s Guide to Facility Programming, The American Institute of Architects, Washington D.C.
“Most diagrams consist of three basic elements:
- space : it can be used also to enhance depiction of relative position, distance and
value among elements represented;
- symbols : represent the individual factors or elements that are significant to the
problem. They may be points, circles, blocks, bubbles, geometric shapes, pictures
or any simple graphic form;
- lines: show the dynamic of relationships among elements."
"Different line characteristics express different dimensions, specifically :
- line length: showing functional, social or physical distance from, to and
between functional, social or physical elements;
- line width or number of lines between elements pairs : showing value,
strength, importance of connection;
- line direction: showing direction, source and endpoint, hierarchy;
- line pattern: showing grouping, division, enclosure, overall relational pattern.” (Chapter 4, p. 125)
“Some of the standard types of correlation diagrams include:
- Bubble diagram, interaction net, link-node diagram, cluster diagram
- Social map, behavior map, sociogram
- Adjacency/proximity diagrams, functional relationship diagram
- Dual graph, point graph
- Block diagram, layout diagram
- Flow pattern diagram
- Organizational chart, chart of hierarchy
- Circuit diagram.” (Chapter 4, p. 125)
“A correlation diagram may reveal or display the following:
- connections between individual parts or elements
- strength or importance of connections
- relationship pattern of the whole construct
- grouping or clustering of variables
- dissociation and/or differentiation among variables
- dynamic interaction among elements.” (Chapter 4, p. 125)
[1975] Nigel Cross and Robin Roy, Design Methods Manual. The Open University, Milton Keynes
New Combinations. “A method of devising new combinations of alternative components that may not previously have been combined into a product or system.”
"Procedure
(1) List the alternative components or elements of existing product of system types, under attribute headings.
(2) Add to the list any new or previously untried components or elements.
(3) Identify any incompatible combinations of component pairs (you may find a morphological chart and/or interaction matrix helps).
(4) List the remaining possible sets of combinations [not all but the intuitively fruitful combinations].
(5) Identify possible sets of combinations that would constitute new or modified products or systems."
(New Combinations, p. 99)
[1969] John Luckman, An Approach to the Management of Design, in Geoffrey Broadbent & Anthony Ward, eds. Design Methods in Architecture. Architectural Association Paper nº 14, Lund Humphries, London
“Orderly and logical presentation of basic data is a great advantage in helping the designer to make his creative step to a potential solution, especially in complex design problems.” (p. 130)
[1986] Ömer Akin, Psychology of Architectural Design, Pion, London
“Representations are as much for evoking design ideas by providing stimuli with which to react as they are for assisting memory and recall. Often these reactions are critical in refining or further developing design ideas. When the designer draws a Venn diagram for the first time to indicate graphically the relationships between parts of the program, this usually implies the decomposition of the problem into manageable parts or the identification of design opportunities and difficulties.” (Chapter 3, pp. 49-50)
[1986] Ömer Akin, Psychology of Architectural Design, Pion, London
“The concept of organization, or conversely of chaos, is central to the issue of representation. Representations are based on implicit or explicit organizations found in the realities that they stand for.”
“The selection of a representation is tantamount to the selection of a method for solving a problem.”
“Plans, sections, elevations, perspectives, axonometric and isometric drawings, models and a host of other graphic representations are the abstract tools of the designer. Through these tools the designer can generate alternative solutions and test them before implementing them in real life and running the risk of costly errors. Representations afford the designer the luxury of testing ideas with little cost.”
(Chapter 6, p. 112)
[1988] Jean-Michel Hoc, Cognitive Psychology of Planning. Academic Press, London
“In many problem-solving situations, different and relatively autonomous knowledge domains are called into play.”
"This knowledge is organised in individuals in different and relatively distinct representation and processing systems. Planning may necessitate moving quickly from one domain to another, giving the illusion that parallel processing takes place. Processing can in particular affect highly different representations of the same object, thus creating the need for different presentations of the same information.”
(Chapter 7, pp. 225-227)
[1988] Jean-Michel Hoc, Cognitive Psychology of Planning. Academic Press, London
“A representation is said to be inadequate when it assigns properties to the task that the task does not have. A representation is incomplete when it falls to assign all the properties to the task that are necessary for its execution.” (Chapter 2, pp. 61-62)
[1989] Ellen Lupton, Reading Isotype, in Victor Margolin, Design Discourse, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago
"An icon is a sign whose form is an analogous to the object it represents, such a perspective drawing, or a map."
"An index is a sign linked to its object by virtue of proximity or direct physical contact. Some examples of indexes are a footprint, an image in a mirror, a photograph. A statistical tabulation is an index of empirical observations." (p. 150)
[1969, Second Edition 1988 ] Herbert A. Simon, The Sciences of the Artificial, M.I.T. Press, Cambridge Massachusetts
“A physical symbol system holds a set of entities, called symbols.”
“... a symbol system also possesses a number of simple processes that operates upon symbol structures - processes that create, modify, copy and destroy symbols.”
“Symbol structures can, and commonly do serve as internal representations (e.g. ‘mental images’) of the environments to which the symbol system is seeking to adapt. They allow it to model that environment with greater or less veridically and in greater or less detail, and consequently to reason about it. Of course, for this capability to be of any use to the symbol system, it must have windows on the world and hands to. It must have means for acquiring information from the external environment that can be encoded into internal symbols as well as means for producing symbols that initiate action upon the environment.
Thus, it must use symbols to designate objects and relations and actions in the world external to the system.” (Chapter 1, pp. 27-28)