Abstract
In the creative early phases of design problem solving, several kinds of external – especially manual – procedures of thinking (‘externalizations’) are applied. This was mainly shown in experimental settings for tasks of architects. We analysed the kinds and the reported purposes of externalising in the everyday work of experienced engineering designers. Three field studies with different samples of engineers (n = 55) show: the majority of experienced designers reported the application of simple low-cost externalising (especially manual sketching and impromptu-prototyping) in their everyday work mainly for memory relief, communication and generation of ideas. Different mental processes in the early phases of engineering design require different kinds of externalising to support them. Simple low-cost externalisations offer most perceived support for communication and sophisticated ones (e.g. manufactured prototypes) for the evaluation of solutions. The results based on retrospective memory reports of engineers are confirmed by self-records of an ongoing conceptual design process and the documented frequencies of different kinds of externalising.
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