Phenomenon One:

Designers search some key words or meaningful pictures that contain spatial metaphor to be their analogical sources. Then they transfer the sources to equal architectural relationship.

The central parts of understanding analogical thinking are how the designers pick their analogical sources and how they connect the sources with design target. The author discoveries a general rule of designers’ analogical decision. It is that designers search and decide some spatial keywords or images, such as color, light, function, structure and so on.

They write down these keywords or draw some sketches to support their thinking. In the two phases of experiment, the author offer source materials to build subjects’ background that is detailed knowledge about the source in the materials, such as this animal’s body structure, life habit, appearance, and so further. The author discoveries that when all subjects read the material, they search some key words relating spatiality or some images which has a spatial metaphor. In the phase one(conventional media), for example, all subjects choose some characters of jellyfish hinting some spatial meaning, such as illuminated, umbrella structure, flocking together, body containing 95 % water, and so on. They put these interesting sources in their minds or penciled down on paper.

Fig 4.2.1 a designers write down the keywords

In the phase two (computer), all subjects choose one image about three kinds of sponge’s tubular structure (Fig 4.2.1 b), because the image is like one architectural section, simple but full of spatial meaning.

Fig 4.2.1 b Three kinds of sponge’s tubular structure

Moreover, the selection process also shows when designers choose their source. Sometimes, the mapping stages often go on at the same time (Fig 4.2.1 c). The process of selecting information containing spatial metaphor is also the reason why selection stage and mapping stage often happen together. The mapping thinking is a complicated process of alternate source and target. The designers read the source and ponder the characters of design purpose, and then go back to think the source and think the function of the purpose again. It is an important process in analogical thinking because the process decides how deeply the analogical results would be. The mapping stages often related to the selection stage and sometimes are happened together with selection stages or learning stages because mapping is a connecting stage that the subjects link between source and target.

Fig 4.2.1 c mapping stage sometimes happens together with other stages

Therefore, designers select the information symbolizing spatial meaning in source material and meanwhile they think about the possibilities about which images or sentences could connect to their design target. They transfer the sources to equal architectural relationship.

The designers capture some spatial characteristics or relationships of the source; at the same time, they relate what architectural characteristics or relationship are equal to the resource.

For example, the subject B in phase one reads the source material and then he writes down

“floating>moving, changing”, “flocking together>combination”, and “body containing water>pneumatic.” When he tries to select some source and meantime he thinks what points are able to relate to design purpose. On the other hand, the mapping stage sometime occurs with learning stage since mapping thinking can aid the designers to generate their design concept. In phase one, after selecting the source and possible target, subject C draws several sketches to attempt to confirm the analogical relationship and starts generating his design using mapping thinking.

In the mapping thinking process, designers capture some sources and try to transfer them to the equal architectural meaning. Most designers have the same analogical ideas that they choose the same sources and associate the sources with the same transfers. Table 4.2.1 d presents some examples of popular sources the subjects choose and what the equal architectural relationship they use.

Analogical source The possibilities of transfers

The form of Jellyfish 1.The umbrella structure of traditional stalls 2.Round space

Flocking together 1.Combination

2.Group

Jellyfish body is made up of 95% water 1.Transparency 2.Inflatable

Three layers of jellyfish’ body Three Spatial functions Flexible body of jellyfish Flexible space

Zooplankton Morphing Sponge’s tubular structures The structure of housing

Water flow Air current

Table 4.2.1 d Some examples of popular sources the subjects choose and what the equal architectural relationship they use

In addition, when we discuss the relationship source and transfer, the levels of analogical ideas must be paid attention to. The coding results show that designers select source of function and property among various levels of spatial analogies than other kinds of analogies.

Analogy of function is the most important level that designer concern about. Table 4.2.1 e shows the percentages of numbers of analogical levels in two phases. Analogy of function occupies the highest percentages which are 43 % in phase one and 33% in phase two. The designers read the information and then transfer some characteristics of the source organisms to some functions of their design. The level of function contains spatial metaphor and deeply

relationship between source and target. It is not like the analogy of form that is only attribute mapping. Most functional analogies imply relational mapping. For example, the flexible body of jellyfish is converted into changeable space dimension of the roadside stall. The similarity between jellyfish and umbrella signifies that the roadside stall has the function providing the wind and rain. The water movements which water enter spongocoel through incurrent pore and flow out through osculum transfer into aerial currents of the living space. On the other hand, the analogy of property also plays a key role in analogical thinking because it is the secondary one they use frequently. The spatial properties, such as color, movement, light, composition, and so forth, are the obvious features that subjects could get from source material

Phase One( conventional media) Phase Two( computer)

P F Fu Str Fr P F Fu Str Fr

A 1 1 3 1 0 2 1 5 3 0

B 1 2 1 2 0 3 3 2 1 0

C 3 1 6 1 0 2 1 2 2 0

Sum 5 4 10 4 0 7 5 9 6 0

22% 17% 43% 17% 0% 26% 19% 33% 22% 0

Table 4.2.1 e The percentage of choosing analogical levels

Most designers map and create their design with various level analogies. The analogy of property, form, and function are often appears before than the analogy of structure since most designer concern design functions and forms than structure. According to the coding result, the levels of form (F) and property (P) emerge in the early part of the process, the level of structure (Str) appear in the latter part of the process. Most designers build their transfer with attribute mapping, such as the form and property, and then they concern about deeper analogies. Another reason is that most designers concern design functions, forms, property than structure.

Fig 4.2.1 f the order of appearance of analogical ideas