DESIGN PROCESS REPORTING TOOL FOR MAPPING AND PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION

The integrative design process is becoming a fundamental part of courses offered at the Construction engineering and Lighting Sciences at Jönköping University, especially in the Architecture-engineering program. Various design processes are known, but the employed concept-test model is a good fit for the integrative design process. This study aimed to investigate how design learners' integrative design process works, and it was hypothesized that this approach fosters students' creativity. The integrative design process was separated into five tasks: Conceptualization with a mood board, Volume study, Floor-plans, Work in progress, and Poster. The quality of the design process was assessed in a Building renovation course using an online assessment platform called Design Process Reporting Tool (DIEGO). This tool measured hours spent on tasks, level of enjoyment, appraisal of the task's difficulty, perceived openness, control over the task performance, and perceived helpfulness of the peer. The results show that students suffer from performative tunnel vision and focus on the quantitative aspects rather than quality. Shortcomings in conceptual preparation and volume studies create frustration and place themselves in an uncomfortable zone. Two-thirds of the students could reach the creative zone with their peer in the process, and in the meantime control, opennes and enjoyment were experienced positively. The need to refine the conceptualization and volume study was made to unlock the full potential of the integrative design approach. Additionally, higher course grades were attainable for those individuals whose ratings on task enjoyment, effort, openness, control, and groupmate evaluation were less exaggerated.