An `AI in Design' View of Design
Methodology

Cognitive Support

Does the design process attempt to mirror specific human design processes?
Or is the design process model a structure of formalized processing operations, which lead to the required computational results?

Discussion. Cognitive principles have inspired AI systems as models for carrying out specific tasks. Design systems try, to a considerable extent, to mimic humans in developing designs. On the one hand it is hoped that the system will be able to reproduce the human efficiency in taking decisions. On the other hand the actions of the system become understandable and justifiable to a human observer [Brown & Chandrasekaran 1989] [Gupta et al. 1993] [Maher 1985]. Some design tasks, however, rely on computational methods which are not human specific. Optimization methods, like genetic algorithms [Bentley & Wakefield 1995], or constraint satisfaction algorithms [Bowen & Bahler 1992], offer accurate solutions, but are not characteristic of the way humans would approach such tasks.

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