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This contribution presents an approach to defining elementary design methods, which differs substantially from previous ones. It grew out of the feeling of unease concerning the status of design methodology. As much as the number and variety of publications of 'newly invented' design methods increases as much the attractiveness for designers working in industry seems to decrease. It was the desire, 'to tidy up' this obscure body of prescriptive procedures for design work which motivated to start a kind of consolidation project. The key concept to overcome the problems was the analogy to the system of chemical elements, which reduces the incredible huge amount of materials and substances to about one hundred chemical elements. If one succeeds to adapt this approach to the body of design methods, fascinating perspectives arise for a convincing structuring of design methods, for improved performance in teaching and learning and for a huge degree of freedom in terms of flexibility in application. The list-approach in order to defining elementary methods has proven powerful in systematising existing and creating adapted design methods. The clear definition of elements and relations and the obvious derivation of the elementary methods reduce or even avoid interpretation problems arising from different views and meanings. The benefits of these elementary methods for science, research and practice are obvious, even if research is ongoing. The remarkable success of the approach so far shows that it most likely satisfies a specific element of human communication. It seems that the linking of elements with relations is a commonly used and powerful procedure to transmit information from one person to another.