Design tools as agents of disclosure

This paper investigates the nature and use of existing tools during a desig n task as a means of gathering information concerning practitioners' concep tion of that activity. Three case studies are reported and a number of conc lusions are drawn concerning the nature of design tools and in particular t he interdependencies revealed between freehand drawing, physical modelling and CAD. The role of visualisation within design is considered in the conte xt of its support by these tools and critically how the various techniques developed by the designers' impact on their conception of the design activi ty. The paper concludes by considering the relationship between designer an d technology as a co-operative partnership and outlines a number of nascent requirements for the design of technology aimed at supporting the early cr eative phase of design. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.