Strategies, competence and style—Problem solving in engineering design

In a series of laboratory studies, mechanical engineers and engineering students with different levels of experience and knowledge designed a device. As a starting point, the numerous ways of solving the problem were classified. Secondly, a model was tested which explained differences in designing as an interaction of domain-specific and heuristic competence. Thirdly, individual characteristics, marking not only the ways of proceeding in design, but also in other complex situations, are considered as a designerʹs personal style. The article closes with some hypotheses about the development of differences in the use of strategies, competence and style.