# What is Generative Design?

You may have encountered the term 'generative design' in the context of producing design permutations, creating geometry from some simple inputs, or even just building computational graphs using Dynamo or Grasshopper.

We see generative design (**/ gen·er·a·tive de·sign /** noun) as:

> A collaborative design process between humans and computers. During this process, the designer defines the design parameters and the computer produces design studies (alternatives), evaluates them against quantifiable goals set by the designer, improves the studies by using results from previous ones and feedback from the designer, and ranks the results based on how well they achieve the designer’s original goals.

![](/files/-LrPm3CRWObOFBHk0uUm)

> *Above: Some generated alternatives - Mars Innovation District - The Living*

Generative design is a specific application of the computational design approach, with the following distinctions:

* The designer defines goals to achieve a design (rather than the exact steps).
* The computer helps the designer to explore the design space and generate multiple design options (not just one).
* The computer enables the designer to find a set of optimal solutions that satisfy multiple competing goals.
* The designer compares multiple design scenarios to find a set of design options that fits the design goals.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://www.generativedesign.org/01-introduction/01-02_generative-design/01-02-01_what-is-generative-design.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.