1. What is the Nature of the Design Process?
There is no definitive formulation of the problem.
Problem formulation may contain inconsistencies.
Formulations of the problem are solution-dependent.
Proposing solutions is a means of understanding the problem.
There is no definitive solution to the problem.
Cross, p. 12

2. No definitive formulation of the problem
Goals may be vague
Constraints and criteria are unknown
Context messy and poorly understood

3. Problem formulation may contain inconsistencies
Objectives might conflict with one another
Inconsistencies might emerge in the process of problem solving

4. Formulations of the problem are solution dependent
Difficult to formulate a problem without referring to a way to solve it

5. Proposing solutions to the problem is a way to understand the problem
Assumptions and uncertainties can be exposed by proposing solutions

6. There is no definitive solution to the problem
Different solutions can be valid
Some solutions are bad
Some good solutions are better than others