Supporting cognitive design: lessons from human-computer interaction and computer-mediated learning CLARK N. QUINN School of Computer Science & Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia. E-mail: C.Quinn@unsw.edu.au MARTYN WILD Management Information Systems, Edith Cowan University, Churchlands WA 6018, Australia. E-mail: m.wild@cowan.edu.au Cognitive engineering has led to a consideration of the capabilities and limitations of users in relation to the products of system design. However, there has not been a similar recognition of human limitations in the process of design. One way to im- prove the products of system design is by making improvements in the process of design and, in particular, by addressing the limitations of designers through scaf- folding with the technology that is the object of design. To do this we need to iden- tify what we know about the process of designing for computer-mediated learning systems, and to build an understanding of how the design process might bene®t from cognitive strategies and computer technology. Here we survey various approaches to support the design process, in order to identify approaches and opportunities that may inform both ®elds. Speci®c suggestions include heuristics for design, and scaffolding the design process through support tools. # 1998 IFIP, published by Kluwer Academic Publishers KEYWORDS: design technology; Human Computer Interaction (HCI); cognition; tools; information technology. COGNITIVE DESIGN A revolution in understanding how people think led to the establishment of the ®eld of cognitive science which, in turn, led to a consideration of the application of this knowledge, and later to calls for `cognitive engineering' (Norman, 1981). His- Education and Information Technologies 3 175±185 (1998) 1360±2357 # 1998 IFIP, published by Kluwer Academic Publishers