Problem Solving and Critical Thinking for Designers / Edition 1

by Christine M. Piotrowski

Overview

The essential guide to decision making and problem solving for the interior designer

The interior design profession requires effective problem solving and critical thinking, as they impact all phases of the design project and most work activities of the interior designer. Whether you are a student or professional designer, much of what you do involves these skills. Although most of us do not even think about what we do in terms of these activities, they are a constant part of design. They are also skills that must be performed successfully outside a professional career. Improving these skills makes you a more sought-after employee and designer, effective business owner, and fulfilled individual. Problem Solving and Critical Thinking for Designers will put the reader on the correct path to a solutions-oriented practice. Using her trademark accessible and conversational approach, Christine Piotrowski guides readers through the process of how the working designer solves problems and makes decisions. Some of the topics she discusses are:

• Design process

• Communication

• Asking questions

• Problem definition and analysis

• Decision-making process

• Negotiation

• Working with others

• Ethical decision making

This book also features real-life scenarios and design problems that guide the reader toward making correct decisions in real-life situations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780470536711
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	04/12/2011
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Christine M. Piotrowski, FASID, IIDA, provides consulting services on business practices to interior designers. Now based in Phoenix, Arizona, she is a former professor of interior design at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. She has more than twenty-five years of commercial and residential design experience. Christine is the author of the award-winning Professional Practice for Interior Designers and Becoming an Interior Designer, as well as coauthor of Designing Commercial Interiors, all published by Wiley.

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Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Chapter 1 Thinking Critically 1

What Is Critical Thinking? 2

Who Is a Critical Thinker? 4

The Importance of Thinking Critically in Interior Design 5

It Is Not Criticism 8

Conclusion 9

For Discussion 10

Chapter 2 Design as Process 13

The Design Process-A Brief Review 14

For Whom Do We Design? 19

Not the First Answer 23

Using Time Effectively 25

Design Thinking 26

Conclusion 30

For Discussion 31

Chapter 3 Problem Definition and Analysis 35

Goals and Objectives 36

Problem Definition 42

Problem Analysis 44

Synthesis 48

Design Concept Statements 52

Conclusion 57

For Discussion 58

Chapter 4 Asking Questions 63

The Purpose of Asking Questions 64

Listening Skills 68

Asking the Right Questions 71

Is There Always a Right Answer? 77

Bias 80

Avoiding Disputes 81

Negotiation 84

Conclusion 86

For Discussion 87

Chapter 5 Looking for Answers-Research Methodologies 93

Types of Research 94

Evidence-Based Design 96

Developing a Research Project 101

Assessing Information 115

Assessing Information from the Internet 121

Conclusion 123

For Discussion 124

Chapter 6 Decision Making 129

Making Decisions 130

What Constitutes Decision Making? 131

Decision-Making Strategies 134

Why We Make Wrong Decisions 140

Conclusion 143

For Discussion 143

Chapter 7 Ethical Decision Making 149

The Importance of Ethical Decision Making 150

Business versus Ethical Conflicts 153

Client Expectations 157

Conclusion 159

For Discussion 160

References 167

Index 175