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68 Useful Design Theories

 , March 14, 2020
Design theory is any first principle, concept or technique that is useful for design and solving problems with design thinking. Design theories are often aligned to a style or philosophy such as minimalism, modernism, postmodernism or new complexity. It is also common for a theory to be a generally applicable technique, process or consideration. The following design theories are selected as being potentially useful and nonobvious.
Accidental Complexity
Asymmetrical Balance
Attractiveness Principle
Backward Invention
Ban The Average
Calm Technology
Cascading Failure
Charrette
Choice Architecture
Complexity Hiding
Deconstruction
Defensive Design
Design Fiction
Design Meaning
Design Styles
Design To The Edges
Desire Path
Dominance
Edge Case
Emergence
Ephemera Design
Essential Complexity
Evolutionary Prototype
Fail Often
Feature Fatigue
First Principles
Fit For Purpose
Form Follows Function
Genius Loci
Gesamtkunstwerk
Human Factors
Human Scale
Iki
Immersive Design
Information Scent
Inventive Step
Keep It Small
Less Is A Bore
Less Is More
Modeless Design
Modernism
Modularity
More Is Different
More Is More
Naive Design
Negative Space
New Complexity
Nudge Theory
Overchoice
Parallel Design
Passive Design
Path Of Least Resistance
Pokayoke
Positive Space
Postmodernism
Preserving Ambiguity
Principle Of Least Astonishment
Principle Of Least Effort
Silent Design
Speculative Design
Sum Of Parts
System Of Systems
There's More Than One Way To Do It
Throwaway Prototype
Transition Design
Unintended Consequences
Value Sensitive Design
Worse Is Better
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