Pre-Reflection-in-Action: Rethinking Schön’s Reflective Practice through the ‘Habits of Design

This article examines Schön’s positioning of reflective practice in relation to design. Focus is directed in particular to his presentation of the acting-thinking relationship. Questioning this we turn to the work of the philosopher John Dewey, who acted as one of Schön’s key inspirational sources. Here, we consider Dewey’s presentation of thought-in-action, artistry and importantly, habit. We argue that a wider referencing of this material, most especially the art-habits relationship, holds the potential to expand the Schönian presentation of design, providing the field with a more nuanced modeling of what it means both to design and to become a designer.