1. A Philosophical Analysis of Designing Results from the Delft Dual Nature of Technical Artefacts Program May 20, Pieter E. Vermaas, Wybo Houkes & Jeroen de Ridder Philosophy Department Delft University of Technology

2. Why a Philosophy of Designing?

3. Why a Philosophy of Designing?
The relation between intentional and structural descriptions of reality
“the mind-body problem”
The notion of technical functions ……

4. Why a Philosophy of Designing?
The process of designing:

5. Why a Philosophy of Designing?
The process of designing:
goal  function  structure

6. Why a Philosophy of Designing?
The process of designing:
goal  function  structure
goal: intentional desired state of affairs
function: ???????
structure: structural description of a product

7. My plan Present some results for the Delft research:
an analysis of the concept of technical functions
a characterisation of the design process

8. Functions: Three Philosophical Proposals
The function of a product X is the capacity F for which it is designed
The function of a product X is the capacity F that corresponds to its technical role
The function of a product X is the capacity F for which it is selected (in the economic market)

9. Functions: Three Philosophical Proposals
The function of a product X is the capacity F for which it is designed
The function of a product X is the capacity F that corresponds to its technical role
The function of a product X is the capacity F for which it is selected (in the economic market)

10. Technical Functions The function of a product X is the capacity F for
which it is designed

11. Much too Liberal The function of a product X is the capacity F for
which it is designed
it makes functions too personal
designers design products for becoming famous
it allows for impossible functions
designers come up with perpetual motion devices

12. Solution: Constraints on Designing
The function of a product X is the capacity F for
which it is designed

13. A New Concept: Use Plans
use plan P for a product X is:
a series of actions with the product X aimed at obtained a goal
using a product X becomes:
carrying out a use plan P for the product X for obtaining the goal of P

14. A New Concept: Use Plans
Designing becomes:
a new use plan P for that goal
goal  products part of P
communication of P to

15. Technical Functions
The function of a product X is a capacity F for which
it is designed
can be rephrased as
The function of a product X is a capacity F iff:
there is a use plan P for the product X
the designers of P selected X for the capacity F

16. Technical Functions The function of a product X is a capacity F iff:
there is a use plan P for the product X
the designers of P selected X for the capacity F

17. Constraints on Designing
The function of a product X is a capacity F iff:
there is a use plan P for the product X
the designers of P selected X for the capacity F
the designers believe that the capacity F helps with obtaining the goal of P
To rule out too personal functions

18. Constraints on Designing
The function of a product X is a capacity F iff:
there is a use plan P for the product X
the designers of P selected X for the capacity F
the designers believe that the capacity F helps with obtaining the goal of P
the designers believe that X has the capacity F and can justify their beliefs with expert knowledge
To rule out impossible functions

19. Technical Functions The function of a product X is a capacity F iff:
there is a use plan P for the product X
the designers of P selected X for the capacity F
the designers believe that the capacity F helps with obtaining the goal of P
the designers believe that X has the capacity F and can justify their beliefs with expert knowledge

20. An agent A ascribes the physicochemical capacity F as a function to an artefact X relative to a use plan P of X, and relative to account C, iff: I. A believes that X has the capacity F; A believes that P leads to its goals due to, in part, X’s capacity F; C. A can on the basis of C justify these beliefs; and E. the agents D who developed P have intentionally selected X for the capacity F and have intentionally communicated P to other agents U.

21. Technical Functions The function of a product X is a capacity F iff:
there is a use plan P for the product X
the designers of P selected X for the capacity F
the designers believe that the capacity F helps with obtaining the goal of P
the designers believe that X has the capacity F and can justify their beliefs with expert knowledge

22. Types of Designing Designing becomes in general:
a new use plan P for that goal
goal  products part of P
communication of P to

23. Types of Designing Expert product designing becomes:
a new use plan P for that goal
goal  new products part of P
designed with expert knowledge
communication of P to

24. Types of Designing Expert designing becomes:
a new use plan P for that goal
goal  existing products part of P
selected with expert knowledge
communication of P to

25. Types of Designing Innovative use-designing becomes:
a new use plan P for that goal
goal  existing products part of P
selected with lay knowledge
communication of P to

26. Using Using becomes: carrying out an existing use plan
with products part of P

27. Conclusions By means of the concept of use plans of products one can:
define technical functions as the capacities for which artefacts are designed
give a connection between using and designing
distinguish different types of designing