Design timelines: Concrete and sticky representations of design process expertise

This paper presents findings from the analysis of data from 177 individuals who solved 401 separate design problems. The findings from this body of research show that individuals with more expertise have processes that are more complex, consider a broader set of information, spend more time problem solving and are more likely to demonstrate a cascade pattern in their design activities. This paper also demonstrates the utility of a commitment to a single research methodology, creating a design timeline representation that is both concrete (visible) and sticky (memorable), and using that representation to tell a consistent story about design processes. Examples of using the timelines to teach about design processes demonstrate timelines are indeed sticky for students of design.