Within the recent design paradigm, there is a need to redefine, and explore new approaches of design communication theories based on linguistics. The main purpose of this study is to develop a creative design ideation tool based on the concept and practical communication method of the rhetoric theory that is a branch of linguistics. The rhetoric has been considered as a theory focuses on over-all communicational behaviors. In this behalf, rhetoric aims multi-dimensional communication. In other words, rhetorical communication is not only dealing with delivering knowledge but also with sharing emotions or attractions with one another.
In order to apply rhetoric into design thinking method, the following premises have been discussed in this thesis: (1) the concept and the practical communication method of the rhetoric have been investigated through out the history in order to clarify the idea of movement in rhetoric and to draw the basic structure and method of design ideation tool; (2) the cases of rhetoric applied in design and the critical view on this has been analyzed and the considerations on difference between rhetoric and design in order to focus and embody the rhetoric application; (3) study on recent design thinking methodology and psychology of language relating with rhetoric in order to draw a systematical structure of the rhetorical design ideation tool; and (4) the techniques of digitalized interactive interface cases have been investigated in order to embody the program which allows designer to use the complex and enormous information of the rhetoric more efficiently.
Through out of the study, a design ideation tool, named, ‘Rhetorical design ideation tool’ has been developed. The rhetorical ideation tool is run by GUI designing program, Macromedia Flash 6 mx. The program interacts directly with the user. The ‘Rhetorical ideation tool is composed of three main phases: (1) what is said; (2) how it is said; and (3) how it is actualized. Each phases composed of sub elements or steps that contains methods or systematically organized informative examples. The purposes of each phase are: (1) to set a hypothetical discourses that includes specific circumstances in design related communication; (2) to express the purpose and function of the discourses more efficiently by applying rhetoric figures; and (3) to express and share the mental representation drawn by user through out the design thinking process. Through the ideation development process, a user can store and share design idea and use them as a database.
In order to identifying the effectiveness of the program, a case study was conducted. Although this case study was conducted with small participants, many design ideations were proposed. Based on this case study, the ‘rhetorical ideation tool’ have to be applied into the communicational design process.
