design-by-analogy

---
name: design-by-analogy
description: "Complete DBA process: problem reframe → source search → map → transfer → adapt. Full Design-by-Analogy methodology for systematic analogical design."
execution: strategy
used-by: cross-domain-discovery
---

# Design by Analogy

Complete Design-by-Analogy (DBA) process following the full methodology: problem reframe → source search → structural mapping → principle transfer → target adaptation.

## State Ledger

| Resource | Target | Current | % |
|----------|--------|---------|---|
| web-search | 30 | 0 | 0% |
| web-research | 10 | 0 | 0% |
| paper-overview | 30 | 0 | 0% |
| paper-search | 20 | 0 | 0% |
| paper-research | 10 | 0 | 0% |

## HARD-GATE

Cannot exit strategy until ≥80% of each budget line is consumed OR yield targets are met with justification for remaining budget.

## Available Tactics

| Tactic | Role |
|--------|------|
| analogy-extraction | Core tactic — full analogy extraction pipeline |
| domain-divergence | Maximize source domain diversity |
| bridge-validation | Validate analogy quality before transfer |

## Available SOPs

| SOP | Role |
|-----|------|
| domain-scanning | Search for analogous source domains |
| abstraction-extraction | Extract abstract design principles from source |
| structural-mapping | Map source→target structural correspondences |
| analogy-quality-assessment | Assess analogy depth and transfer viability |
| transfer-adaptation | Adapt transferred principle to target constraints |
| cross-domain-synthesis | Synthesize DBA outputs into design proposals |

## Execution Guidance

1. **Problem reframe**: Restate the design problem in function-behavior-structure terms
2. **Source search**: Use domain-scanning across ≥5 distant domains (biology, architecture, materials, social systems, etc.)
3. **Abstract sources**: Extract design principles from each source using abstraction-extraction
4. **Map structure**: Apply structural-mapping to align source→target
5. **Assess quality**: Use analogy-quality-assessment — require STRUCTURAL or SYSTEMIC depth
6. **Transfer**: Carry principles from source to target domain
7. **Adapt**: Use transfer-adaptation to fit principles to target constraints and physics
8. **Validate**: Confirm adapted solution is feasible in target domain
9. **Synthesize**: Produce structured DBA design report via cross-domain-synthesis