| The study poses two major questions in contemporary design theory: Is the true subject matter of design the creation of objects, or is there and alternative approach in which the material and immaterial objects are part of a wider system of environmental modifications for the enhancement of the everyday life quality through human actions, and is this the real subject matter of design as a field of knowledge? Can we develop new methodology to evaluate existing designed objects as they relate to a wider view of the environment they modify, and support efficient rules and concepts for new designs?; The first chapter is dedicated to situate design thinking as a distinct human nature quality that purposefully modifies the environment in order to enhance what it affords to the human-ambient. The human-ambient is distinguished from the physical ambient, which is one of its constituting parts, and finds that the other constituting parts such as everyday lifestyles, people, objects and artifacts along with the physical elements become its real field of study.; The second chapter centers on the design thinking structure arguing that the basic entities are: Everyday life, Concept, Technology, and Narrative. These entities draw specific relations: Usefulness, Performance, Appearance, and Meaning as the basic output from which projects may be planned and conceived.; The third chapter considers the current new work being done mostly in computer related studies around visualization both in scientific as well as in information. Too early to derive a consistent body of knowledge, nevertheless the initial findings help us find important interaction between visualization and design thinking.; The fourth chapter shows a visualization application on a case study. It combines the relationships explained in the design thinking structure with the visualization methodology.; The fifth chapter concludes and underlines the most significant arguments on design thinking as an interdisciplinary approach through which we can modify our different environment units and levels, with purpose, usefulness and meaning, while predicting the effects it may afford to other living things. |
