How designers think. Conceptual blending in design

Abstract

The article aims at pointing out those areas of design in which a structure of metaphor1 can be useful and testing out its sufficiency. The basis for reflection are examples of existing design solutions. Decisions made by designers on the future shape, functionality and appearance of an object are rooted in their knowledge about the material world and human needs, but also transfer their ideas regarding the role and purpose of design itself in social life. The presented examples relate to a specific way of thinking common for designers working on a project. The article argues that a designer's way of thinking can be broadly described using a conceptual blen­ding model rather than a metaphor structure which does not always apply. In Polish literature, conceptual blending, translated as amalgamaty pojęciowe, refers to linguistics and is mostly used in linguistic research. The article proposes a different translation, amalgamaty koncepcyjne, as a broader term which can also be used in visual thinking research, as well as design.