Precedent Knowledge in Multiple Domains of Design: A Review and Analysis of Literature

This systematic literature review study explores how precedent knowledge, as a form of design knowledge, is understood across multiple domains of design (architecture, engineering, fashion, game, graphic, HCI, human performance technology, interior, public planning, product/industrial, production/movie/stage and general design theory). Analysis of 96 published sources was conducted, and a construct map was created to identify how authors define and discuss what precedent is, where precedent comes from, how precedent is collected and stored, when precedent is used, and how precedent works in the design process. While precedent knowledge appears to be prevalent across multiple domains of design, variation in understanding of the construct and use of language to describe it is wide. Against the initial construct map drawn from general design theory, additions were placed in the areas of sources of precedent and use of precedent.