What is a good metaphor?: A strategic use of metaphor for design problem-solving in a multidisciplinary approach

Design problem-solving consists of two main parts, redefining a given problem and generating solutions, and metaphors play an important role in this process as a creative thinking tool. However, designers use metaphors intuitively rather than strategically. Despite many studies in metaphorical design, little research has been performed on how to generate good metaphors and utilize them systematically from a designer’s point of view. This is due to the lack of convergent studies of the theory of metaphor in linguistics and design methods. In this paper, I proposed and verified a new metaphorical design method to overcome the limitations of the existing research. A newly suggested design method is developed based on domain distance theory of metaphor, which contains the principle of forming a good metaphor. To test the effectiveness of this design method, three evaluations were performed regarding the numbers of retrieving sources and ideas, and the quality of generated ideas. Through this research, a meaningful design knowledge was created which can give a benefit to designers for solving creative problems.