A framework for describing and understanding interdisciplinary interactions in design

Today’s design environments are highly constrained and projects are often worked on by designers from different domains. This paper describes a framework, based on the work of Rasmussen (1990). for examining these design processes in terms of design movements through levels of constraint and across design domains. The different design domains are defined by different disciplines. This framework was developed to assist in the analysis of a field study of the design of a nuclear power plant control room. Tbe general structure of the framework is explained and then is used in five design scenarios to demonstrate its utility.