Principles of flexibility in design process, with the approach to creativity in design

In recent decades, the design in various fields has undergone remarkable changes that many theoreticians have tried to define and present new models to promote efficiency or provide more creativity during a design process. But most of the time, designers have to apply processes that are restricted to fixed and repetitive steps, unchangeable copy, or an adaptation of what they have learned from other designers during education in the past. From the authors’ point of view, one of the main issues is how the design process can sufficiently be flexible to be used in all situations. The concept of flexibility is the capability of being used by both experienced and novice designers or architects, the ability of adaptability to unpredictable conditions and time changes, and the ability to avoid fixed and unchangeable steps. In this article, according to library resources, it has been endeavored to disclose six general principles as a flexible framework for design which has crucial effects on the development of creativity in the design process. Based on Delphi’s methodology, the suggested principles are assessed by 20 experts to approve the profound impact of them on improving design process creativity and flexibility. By using these principles and based on the strategies of architects, a wide variety of flexible design process can be organized.