Abstract
According to John Gero’s (1990) function-behaviour-structure model of designing, designers transform in three steps desired functions into a design description of an artefact that can perform these functions. Firstly, designers transform the functions into required behaviours of the artefact. Secondly, these required behaviours are transformed into a description of the structure of the artefact. And thirdly, designers transform this description of the structure into the design description that tells how the artefact can be manufactured. In this paper I present and review Gero’s model of designing and show that a precise understanding of this model depends on the precise meanings of the notions function, behaviour and structure. I consider three attempts to characterise functions, behaviours and structure of artefacts and assess how these characterisations affect the model. Also I consider an elaboration of the model by Rosenman and Gero (1998).
Citation
Vermaas, P. (2002) A critical analysis of John Gero’s function-behaviourstructure model of designing, in Durling, D. and Shackleton, J. (eds.), Common Ground - DRS International Conference 2002, 5-7 September, London, United Kingdom. https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conference-papers/drs2002/researchpapers/84
A critical analysis of John Gero’s function-behaviourstructure model of designing
According to John Gero’s (1990) function-behaviour-structure model of designing, designers transform in three steps desired functions into a design description of an artefact that can perform these functions. Firstly, designers transform the functions into required behaviours of the artefact. Secondly, these required behaviours are transformed into a description of the structure of the artefact. And thirdly, designers transform this description of the structure into the design description that tells how the artefact can be manufactured. In this paper I present and review Gero’s model of designing and show that a precise understanding of this model depends on the precise meanings of the notions function, behaviour and structure. I consider three attempts to characterise functions, behaviours and structure of artefacts and assess how these characterisations affect the model. Also I consider an elaboration of the model by Rosenman and Gero (1998).