Design Heuristics
Design Heuristics are a set of empirically-derived "rules of thumb" that designers can use to generate more creative ideas. The Design Heuristics tool consists of a deck of 77 cards, each presenting a different rule of thumb for the designer to consider.
As an undergraduate researcher, I analyzed how student design teams used the Design Heuristics tool in their class projects. I also developed an instructional protocol to teach students how to use the Design Heuristics tools to develop and transform their already-generated ideas.
Image credit: James Christian
Publications:
Kramer, J., Daly, S., Yilmaz, S., & Seifert, C. (2014). A Case-Study Analysis of Design Heuristics in an Upper-Level Cross-Disciplinary Design Course. Proceedings of American Society for Engineering Education Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana. Winner of Best of Design in Engineering Education (DEED) Award.
Kramer, J., Daly, S., Yilmaz, S., Seifert, C., & Gonzalez, R. (2015). Investigating the Impacts of Design Heuristics on Idea Initiation and Development. Advances in Engineering Education, 4(4).