ABSTRACT
Case-based reasoning as a process model of design is intuitively appealing because much of design knowledge comes through the experience of multiple, individual design situations. A major task in the development of computer support for design is the identification of the design knowledge to be included in the support tool. Although designers may have difficulty generalizing their heuristics or styles, they usually have no trouble telling stories about previous design situations. If this kind of reasoning can be captured in a computable model of design, the resulting design system may be capable of learning from design experience and maintaining a reasonable competency in design without major reprogramming. Developing such a model also improves our understanding of design and challenges some of the theoretical developments in CBR.
