ABSTRACT
As the basis of industrial design engineering, the process of thinking has usually been defined as a chain of argument, explanation, logical induction, or deduction. Engineering thinking is believed to occur by way of proposed hypotheses, suggested evidence, and rational conclusions. Other mental processes-those of meditation, intuition, belief-are usually not granted the honorific name of thinking. Yet it is evident that many complex, and sometimes profound, operations of the mind must precede our final arranging of an argument, finding a path of explanation, or staging a deduction. We have names for some of these independent operations:
• Classification, • Reconciling, and • Sequencing.
