The story novice designers tell: How rhetorical structures and prototyping shape communication with external audiences

Abstract

Communication with external audiences is a critical task within the design process. Yet, we lack fundamental knowledge about how designers communicate design solutions and decisions to such audiences. This is particularly problematic for novice designers, as without such knowledge, we cannot develop pedagogical interventions to train novices as effective communicators. In this work, we study two strategies used by novices to communicate design knowledge – argumentation and prototypes. Through a move analysis and Markov modelling, we identified six unique rhetorical moves and how novices transitioned between them. We also identified several justifications and rhetorical devices used by novices that were driven by prototyping efforts. Educators can utilize these results to support students in scaffolding communication skills to develop design communication expertise.