Towards a facilitation tool for steering design processes: A case study in architecture

This paper tackles the strong demand for design steering aiming at improving the quality of design and thus reducing the appearance of dysfunctions. With regard to this, we highlight the multidisciplinary characteristics as well as the predictive and reactive aspects of design steering in architecture. Then, based on existing models, we propose a model combining three primary activities (analysis, proposition, and evaluation). Then we enrich the model so that it covers the predictive and reactive aspects of design steering. This is done on the basis of our analysis of design steering, which allowed to uncover two narrowly linked but generally implicit entities : the concern situation and the aimed situation. Finally, we specify and present the mock-up of a tool that can be qualified as "reactive". This means that instead of allowing to define a solution, it allows to determine when the intervention pilot actor is needed.