Generators

The generative phase of creation attempts to create a mass of elements for later processing. Many of the ideas will be inappropriate or extraneous to the needs of the design, and will be weeded out during later critical phases, as testing reveals their weaknesses. Elements created during the generative phase are normally responsible for the "sense of detail," or "sense of depth" in an environment, and it is this sense that gives the impression of "richness" to an environment.

Many of the methods of generation are based on the idea of the "magic" of some phenomena. Generation is accomplished through recognising the essential and wonderful patterns and qualities of some particular phenomena and transforming them for use in the project.

"Pattern-stores" are collections of patterns that can provide details and ideas. The patterns of the store can be used directly, composed into the project as autonomous units, possibly through "combination patterns" from another store. They can also be transformed through some mental process (play) which creates new elements reflecting the complexity of the original.