Host: Japanese Society for the Science of Design
The purpose of this thesis is to propose a new view of design named “Activity Based Design” as opposed to the previously popular “Problem Solving Design” which views design as problem solving. The Problem Solving Design begins with a request from a client to a designer to solve a problem. In contrast, the Activity Based Design does not start with an explicitly shared problem nor clear boundaries between client, user and designer. While people are engaged in an activity and communicate among themselves, problems become visible and design possibilities emerge. This approach enables designing even when people are not aware of the problems.
