ABSTRACT
We report an investigation aimed at assessing the extent to which expert engineering designers generate and evaluate multiple solution alternatives in accordance with the prescriptive dictates of normative design methodologies. The study focussed upon six professional electronic engineers tackling an integrated circuit design problem. Verbal protocol data revealed a general failure to search for alternative solution concepts and a marked inclination to stick with early ‘satisficing’ solutions, even when these were showing deficiencies. We argue that whilst minimal solution search in design may sometimes be caused by motivational factors and working-memory limitations, its major determinant relates to inhibitory memory processes that arise subsequent to the recognition based emergence of familiar design solutions. We conclude by exploring the implications of minimal solution search for design support, with particular reference to an agent based indexing system which we are developing in order to facilitate the pursuit of design alternatives in engineering contexts.
