Abstract
This study proposes constructive simulation, a new research method applied in investigating phenomenon that is difficult to observe. Constructive simulation infers the mechanism that forms a phenomenon using a different mechanism when the similar or analogous phenomenon emerges from the different mechanism. This study determines the procedure of constructive simulation and applies it in the concept generation process in design. First, the virtual concept generation process was explored on the semantic network by tracing the relations between the concepts. Next, the structure of the virtual concept generation process was extracted using the network theory, and its correlation with the evaluated originality score of the actual design products were analyzed. Because a significant correlation was found, it was understood that the analogous phenomenon had emerged from the virtual concept generation process and that the constructive simulation was conducted successfully. Finally, certain hypotheses on the thinking principle in concept generation were inferred from the mechanism of the virtual concept generation process.
