The use and evolution of design methods in professional design practice

Through interviews, observation and document reviews, we investigated how design methods are applied and developed in a Norwegian design company with a focus on safety-critical systems. Our analysis revealed that design methods are used and developed through pragmatic, cyclic evolutions which vary across projects. Particular methods are adapted to fit situational demands, designers' skillsets and the organisation of design activities. We introduce the pragmatic evaluation model, a framework to cyclically evaluate and evolve design methods in professional design practice. The proposed model can provide opportunities for research aimed at understanding how design methods can be adapted and evolved to support professional design practice.