Generational Evolution of Design Methods from a Global Perspective

XUE Haian; HU Fei

doi:10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.14.009

PDF(449 KB)

Packaging Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (14) : 100-108. DOI: 10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.14.009

Industrial Design

Generational Evolution of Design Methods from a Global Perspective

XUE Haian, HU Fei^*

Author information +

History +

Abstract

Design methods that emerged across different historical periods exhibit distinct generational paradigms. The work aims to systematically trace back and compare the formation background and core characteristics of various generations of design methods, and reveal their evolution logic and internal tensions, so as to provide an overall perspective for understanding the coexistence of multiple contemporary design methods and the theoretical construction of the emerging field of "design research history". By literature analysis, the theoretical basis, methodological characteristics and representative research of the first to the fourth generation design methods were compared and sorted out. On this basis, the current design research frontiers were integrated to discuss the fifth-generation design method that is currently under construction. The analysis showed that the first generation of design methods, emerging in the late 1950s and 1960s, sought to rationalize and scientize design; the second generation, developed mainly in the 1970s, reframed design as a participatory and argumentative process; the third generation, spanning the 1980s to the early twenty-first century, shifted attention toward human-centered approaches, focusing on the cognition and behavior of both designers and users; and the fourth generation, from the early twenty-first century onward, is characterized by experience-driven and generative co-creation, and is gradually moving towards systematic and interdisciplinary integration. Building on these trajectories, the fifth generation of design methods, still under construction, is unfolding along multiple dimensions, including an explicit orientation toward long-term human well-being and flourishing, an expansion beyond exclusively human-centered perspectives, and, in the context of human-AI collaboration, an increasing emphasis on the cultivation of human designers' judgment, connoisseurship, and sense of responsibility.

Key words

design methods / design research / generations / five generations / evolution

Cite this article

EndNote

Ris (Procite)

Bibtex

Download Citations

XUE Haian, HU Fei. Generational Evolution of Design Methods from a Global Perspective[J]. Packaging Engineering. 2026, 47(14): 100-108 https://doi.org/10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.14.009

References

[1] CROSS N.The Coming of Post-Industrial Design[J]. Design Studies, 1981, 2(1): 3-7.
[2] RITTEL H W.Second-Generation Design Methods[C]// CROSS N, ed. Developments in Design Methodology. New York: J. Wiley & Son, 1984: 317-327.
[3] BOUSBACI R.Models of Man in Design Thinking: The Bounded Rationality Episode[J]. Design Issues, 2008, 24(4): 38-52.
[4] JONES P H.Systemic Design Principles for Complex Social Systems[C]// METCALF G, ed. Social Systems and Design. Translational Systems Science Series, Vol.1. Tokyo: Springer, 2014: 91-128.
[5] 胡飞, 时吉星. 英国设计方法研究60年之进程[J]. 艺术设计研究, 2022(4): 50-57.
HU F, SHI J X.A 60-Year Approach to the Study of British Design Methods[J]. Art and Design Research, 2022(4): 50-57.
[6] 尽管彼得·琼斯在文中也以表格的形式对四代设计方法进行了总结,但一方面本文总结的四代设计方法的分期、理论基础、方法特色、代表人物和关键术语都与之不同;另一方面,彼得·琼斯该文中仍有一些不准确和矛盾的地方.读者可自行比较,参见[4]
Although Peter Jones also summarized the four generations of design methods in tables in his paper, there are two distinct differences. On the one hand, the division of stages, theoretical foundations, methodological features, representative figures and key terms of the four generations of design methods summarized in this paper are all different from those in Peter Jones' work; on the other hand, there are still some inaccuracies and contradictions in the aforementioned paper of Peter Jones.Readers may make their own comparisons, as referenced in [4].
[7] VRIES M J, CROSS N, GRANT D P.A History of Design Methodology[M]. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 1993.
[8] JONES J C, THORNLEY D G, eds. Conference on Design Methods[M]. Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1963.
[9] HUBKA V, EDER W E.A Scientific Approach to Engineering Design[J]. Design Studies, 1987, 8(3): 123-137.
[10] ALEXANDER C.Notes on the Synthesis of Form[M]. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1964.
[11] ARCHER L B.Systematic Method for Designers[J]. Design, 1964: 56-59.
[12] JONES J C.Design Methods: Seeds of Human Futures[M]. New York: Wiley-Interscience, 1970.
[13] HUPPATZ D J.Revisiting Herbert Simon's Science of Design[J]. Design Issues, 2015, 31(2): 29-40.
[14] FULLER R B.A Comprehensive Anticipatory Design Science[J]. Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, 1957, 34(8): 357-361.
[15] RITTEL H W J, WEBBER M M. Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning[J]. Policy Sciences, 1973, 4(2): 155-169.
[16] ALEXANDER C.The State of the Art in Design Methods[J]. DMG Newsletter, 1971, 5(3): 3-7.
[17] JONES J C.… in the Dimension of Time: Thoughts about the Context of Designing[J]. Design Studies, 1980, 1(3): 172-176.
[18] ALEXANDER C.Notes on the Synthesis of Form[M]. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1971.
[19] CROSS N.Science and Design Methodology: A Review[J]. Research in Engineering Design, 1993, 5(2): 63-69.
[20] CROSS N.Design Participation: Proceedings of the Design Research Society's Conference, Manchester, September 1971[C]. Design Participation, 1972.
[21] SANOFF H.Collaborative Design Processes[J]. Journal of Architectural Education, 1979, 33(1): 18-22.
[22] NOBLE D E, RITTEL H W J. Issue-Based Information Systems for Design[J]. ACADIA Proceedings, 1988: 275-286.
[23] ALEXANDER C, ISHIKAWA S, SILVERSTEIN M.A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction[M]. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977.
[24] WARD C.Housing: An Anarchist Approach[M]. London: Freedom Press, 1976.
[25] 唐林涛. 设计方法论[M]. 北京: 中国建筑工业出版社, 2024.
TANG L T.Design Methodology[M]. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press, 2024.
[26] JACQUES R, POWELL J A, eds. Design: Science: Method: Proceedings of the 1980 Design Research Society Conference[C]. Guildford: Westbury House, 1981.
[27] ARCHER B.Design as a Discipline[J]. Design Studies, 1979, 1(1): 17-20.
[28] LLOYD P.You Make It and You Try It Out: Seeds of Design Discipline Futures[J]. Design Studies, 2019, 65: 167-181.
[29] SCHÖN D A. The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action[M]. London: Routledge, 2017.
[30] LAWSON B R.Cognitive Strategies in Architectural Design[J]. Ergonomics, 1979, 22(1): 59-68.
[31] DARKE J.The Primary Generator and the Design Process[J]. Design Studies, 1979, 1(1): 36-44.
[32] CROSS N.Designerly Ways of Knowing[J]. Design Studies, 1982, 3(4): 221-227.
[33] CROSS N.A Brief History of the Design Thinking Research Symposium Series[J]. Design Studies, 2018, 57: 160-164.
[34] LINDBERG T, NOWESKI C, MEINEL C.Evolving Discourses on Design Thinking: How Design Cognition Inspires Meta-Disciplinary Creative Collaboration[J]. Technoetic Arts, 2010, 8(1): 31-37.
[35] NORMAN D A.The Design of Everyday Things[M]. New York: Basic Books, 1988.
[36] NIELSEN J.Usability Engineering[M]. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann, 1994.
[37] KEINONEN T.User-Centered Design and Fundamental Need[C]// Proceedings of the 5th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction: Building Bridges. New York: ACM, 2008: 211-219.
[38] NORMAN D A, VERGANTI R.Incremental and Radical Innovation: Design Research vs. Technology and Meaning Change[J]. Design Issues, 2014, 30(1): 78-96.
[39] GREENBERG S, BUXTON B.Usability Evaluation Considered Harmful (Some of the Time)[C]// Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. New York: ACM, 2008: 111-120.
[40] SANDERS E B N, STAPPERS P J. Co-Creation and the New Landscapes of Design[J]. CoDesign, 2008, 4(1): 5-18.
[41] 薛海安, 彼得·M.A.德斯梅特, 史蒂文·福金加, 等. 设计与情感(1999—2023): 一个21世纪的荷兰(全球)设计(研究)运动[J]. 装饰, 2023(4): 29-34. DOI:10.16272/j.cnki.cn11-1392/j.2023.04.008.
XUE H A, DESMET P M A, FOKKINGA S, et al. Design & Emotion (1999-2023): A 21st Century Dutch (Yet Global) Design (Research) Movement[J]. Zhuangshi, 2023 (4): 29-34. DOI:10.16272/j.cnki.cn11-1392/ j.2023.04.008.
[42] DESMET P M A. Designing Emotions[D]. Delft: Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, 2002.
[43] DESMET P M A, HEKKERT P. Framework of Product Experience[J]. International Journal of Design, 2007, 1(1): 57-66.
[44] HASSENZAHL M.The Interplay of Beauty, Goodness, and Usability in Interactive Products[J]. Human-Computer Interaction, 2004, 19(4): 319-349.
[45] MATTELMÄKI T, VAAJAKALLIO K, KOSKINEN I. What Happened to Empathic Design?[J]. Design Issues, 2014, 30(1): 67-77.
[46] MANZINI E.Design, When Everybody Designs: An Introduction to Design for Social Innovation[M]. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2015.
[47] VISSER F S, STAPPERS P J, VAN DER LUGT R, et al. Contextmapping: Experiences from Practice[J]. CoDesign, 2005, 1(2): 119-149.
[48] SANDERS E B N, STAPPERS P J. Probes, Toolkits and Prototypes: Three Approaches to Making in Codesigning[J]. CoDesign, 2014, 10(1): 5-14.
[49] STEEN M.Co-Design as a Process of Joint Inquiry and Imagination[J]. Design Issues, 2013, 29(2): 16-28.
[50] GAVER B, DUNNE T, PACENTI E.Design: Cultural Probes[J]. Interactions, 1999, 6(1): 21-29.
[51] 桑德斯, 斯塔普斯. 愉悦工具盒: 生成式设计研究方法[M]. 武汉: 华中科技大学出版社, 2021.
SANDERS E B N, STAPPERS P J. Convivial Toolbox: Generative Research for the Front End of Design[M]. Wuhan: Huazhong University of Science and Technology Press, 2021.
[52] JONES P, KIJIMA K.Systemic Design: Theory, Methods, and Practice[M]. Tokyo: Springer Japan, 2018.
[53] IRWIN T.Transition Design: A Proposal for a New Area of Design Practice, Study, and Research[J]. Design and Culture, 2015, 7(2): 229-246.
[54] SEVALDSON B.Visualizing Complex Design: The Evolution of Gigamaps[C]// JONES P, KIJIMA K, eds. Systemic Design: Theory, Methods, and Practice. Tokyo: Springer Japan, 2019: 243-269.
[55] NORMAN D A, STAPPERS P J.DesignX: Complex Sociotechnical Systems[J]. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 2015, 1(2): 83-106.
[56] 娄永琪. 一个针灸式的可持续设计方略:崇明仙桥可持续社区战略设计[J]. 创意与设计, 2010(4): 33-38.
LOU Y Q.An Acupuncture-like Strategy for Sustainable Design: Strategic Design for the Chongming Xianqiao Sustainable Community[J]. Creation and Design (Creativity and Design), 2010(4): 33-38.
[57] 张朵朵, 季铁. 协同设计“触动”传统社区复兴——以“新通道·花瑶花”项目的非遗研究与创新实践为例[J]. 装饰, 2016(12): 26-29.
ZHANG D D, JI T.Collaborative Design "Touching" Traditional Community Revitalization: A Case Study of the "New Tongdao · Huayaohua" Project’s ICH Research and Innovative Practice[J]. Zhuangshi, 2016(12): 26-29.
[58] 娄永琪. NICE2035:一个设计驱动的社区支持型社会创新实验[J]. 装饰, 2018(5): 34-39.
LOU Y Q. NICE2035: A Design-Driven Community- Supported Social Innovation Experiment[J]. Zhuangshi, 2018(5): 34-39.
[59] 辛向阳, 欧阳云玉. 使能社区设计方法与沙漠复合型社区的构建研究——以马兰湖公益治沙社区为例[J]. 湖南社会科学, 2018(6): 177-183.
XIN X Y, OUYANG Y Y.Enabling Community Design Methods and the Construction of a Desert Hybrid Community: A Case Study of the Malan Lake Public-Welfare Desertification-Control Community[J]. Hunan Shehui Kexue (Hunan Social Sciences), 2018(6): 177-183.
[60] LAM B, PITSAKI I.Co-Design for the Development of New Knowledge and Practices in Not-for-Profit Organizations[J]. Design Management Journal, 2018, 13(1): 70-82.
[61] CHEN D S, CHENG L L, HUMMELS C C M, et al. Social Design: An Introduction[J]. International Journal of Design, 2016, 10(1): 1-5.
[62] PIRINEN A.The Barriers and Enablers of Co-Design for Services[J]. International Journal of Design, 2016, 10(3): 27-42.
[63] DESMET P M A, POHLMEYER A E. Positive Design: An Introduction to Design for Subjective Well-Being[J]. International Journal of Design, 2013, 7(3): 5-19.
[64] CALVO R A, PETERS D.Positive Computing: Technology for Wellbeing and Human Potential[M]. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2014.
[65] COSKUN A, CILA N, NICENBOIM I, et al.More-Than-Human Concepts, Methodologies, and Practices in HCI[C]//CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Extended Abstracts. New York: ACM, 2022: 1-5.
[66] GIACCARDI E, REDSTRÖM J, NICENBOIM I. The Making(s) of More-Than-Human Design: Introduction to the Special Issue on More-Than-Human Design and HCI[J]. Human-Computer Interaction, 2025, 40(1-4): 1-16.
[67] NICENBOIM I, OOGJES D, BIGGS H, et al.Decentering Through Design: Bridging Posthuman Theory with More-Than-Human Design Practices[J]. Human- Computer Interaction, 2025, 40(1-4): 195-220.
[68] 张黎. 人类世的设计理想与伦理: 非人类中心主义与物导向设计[J]. 装饰, 2021(1): 27-31.
ZHANG L.Design Ideals and Ethics of the Anthropocene: Non-Anthropocentrism and Object-oriented Design[J]. Zhuangshi, 2021(1): 27-31.
[69] GIACCARDI E, CILA N, SPEED C, et al.Thing Ethnography: Doing Design Research with Non-Humans[C]// Proceedings of the 2016 ACM Conference on Designing Interactive Systems. New York: ACM, 2016: 377-387.
[70] ZHOU J, LI R, TANG J, et al.Understanding Nonlinear Collaboration Between Human and AI Agents: A Co-Design Framework for Creative Design[C]// Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. New York: ACM, 2024: 1-16.
[71] YU W F.AI as a Co-Creator and a Design Material: Transforming the Design Process[J]. Design Studies, 2025, 97: 101303.
[72] XUE H, DESMET P M A, YOON J K. On the Cultivation of Designers’ Emotional Connoisseurship (Part 1): A Theoretical Positioning[J]. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 2024, 10(1): 9-31.
[73] XUE H, DESMET P M A, YOON J K. On the Cultivation of Designers’ Emotional Connoisseurship (Part 2): A Pedagogical Initiative[J]. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 2024, 10(2): 143-168.