DMML: A Design Thinking Process Modeling Language

Because design is an iterative and evolving process, recording and representing designer's thinking process plays an important role for design change and reuse. After giving a brief review of the previous related research, a design thinking process model is created for representing the design thinking process. Its knowledge structure consisting of design intent, design decision, design rationale and design operation is explained in detail. Based on the proposed model, a knowledge modeling language (Design Mental Modeling Language, DMML) is developed for expressing and reasoning the design thinking process explicitly. Semi-formal structure is used by DMML, which can improve both the expressiveness and computability of this language. A visual modeling system is developed for implementing DMML and an example is presented for illustration.