Teaching Generative Design

Generative design, which integrates multidisciplinary types of expertise in unconventional ways, was reserved just until recently to experienced and highly autodidactic designers. However, growing recognition of the importance of generative design methodologies have resulted in a need to introduce theories and applications of generative design to undergraduate students as part of their design studies. This emerging educational field of generative design teaching currently lacks methodologies, teaching experience and introductory study material. Available textbooks related to algorithmic form generation, discussing algorithmic growth, artificial life, fractal images, emergent behaviour and the like have originated in the field of mathematics. This resource provides an abundance of examples and generative approaches but when adapted to design education, it poses great interdisciplinary challenges which are addressed in this paper. Experiences in generative design teaching are presented, focusing on the relation between algorithmic reproduction of nature (as emphasized by authors in the mathematical field) and innovation (as commonly emphasized in design education). This discussion leads to a derivation of pedagogic suggestions as early steps on the way towards theories and curricula of generative design teaching, addressed to curriculum planners, generative design teachers as well as novices of the field such as undergraduate students.