A re-assessment of design thinking through the experience of jury duty in a murder trial

The paper is a reflection upon the concepts of 'process' and 'judgement', brought about by the author's experience of being a member on a jury. By adopting the methodological approaches of 'Reflective practice' (Schon, 1983' 1987) and 'Practitioner Based Enquiry' (Sullivan, 2004). The author undertook an exegesis of the experience and reflects on the role of judgement in relation to process' The philosophical framework of 'judgement' as a legal concept is not addressed but the paper draws implications for enhancing the designerly understanding of design process particularly within design education. A design practitioner typically understands their design process and the judgements they make during design as a heavily entwined experience. Models like Broadbents (1973) 'spiral Model' and the more recent model by Swann (2002) emphasise the repeated returning to key points in the design process where judgments are made that often redirect the focus of the process The models illustrate a highly interactive process where the designer has an enormous influence on the direction of the design process and the design solution that ensues. Hundreds of judgements can be made in the cause of a single design. Contemporary design process theorising by Nelson (2003) and Fry (200a) explore in greater detail the judgment aspect of designerly thinking. This is brought to bear on the experience of being physically embedded in a trial process where one was a component rather than a designer/author of a process. Where the role of judgement was dictated as the jury's primary task and their influence on the process was minimal. This is in stark contrast to the role a designer normally has within a process. The comparison provided insights into the different roles of process and judgement particularly in relation to a designers understanding of process and judgement within the design process. The paper discusses the implications with specific reference to design educators and design students in the understanding of their own design thinking.