I view all creative proccesses as design disciplines. Thus composers, architects, writers etc. all are designers from my point of view.
Could song rhythms be applied from design perspective to a story/plot/scenario to good use? And i'm not only talking about song rhythm, i'm talking about borrowing other-design specific practices and applying it to yours?
The answer will depend on your point of view. The creative process for any endeavor can withstand a great amount of tinkering and experimentation. Taking the architecture example, as I read the question, you're asking "Can I take the process of building a building and use that to build a story, instead?"
Steps to Designing a Building:
Figure out what the building is for. Your approach is going to be different if you're building a skyscraper or a gas station. This step includes picking the right location, figuring out what your intended audience is, and figuring out if you have the infrastructure to support your building.
Identify key features you want to include or want to avoid. "Last place I worked the ceilings were too low, but we had this big open window I really liked..."
Broad strokes design. "The building is going to be six stories with a roof patio. We have good public transit access, so plan to provide minimal parking..."
Design the Structure. At this point you figure out the structural supports, going the ground to the top of your building. Where are the stairs, the elevators? How are people going to move through the building? A bunch of tiny little offices or big open spaces? Where are the electrical risers and the wet-walls?
Design the floors. Now you finally get to lay out the rooms. This is the part most people think of and one of the least interesting in practice. If your structure is built correctly, the rooms should be obvious.
Details. Light fixtures, fire sprinklers, window molding... Nothing takes a room from zero to finished quite like new lights and a coat of paint.
Throughout the process, you have to pay attention to changing situations. Perhaps the client says he wanted bay windows, but now says he wants a modern look. The city plans showed enough water for a six story building, but checking the pressure only reveals enough for five stories. You'd planned to use a design detail on the first floor, but it worked so well you want to use it throughout as a unifying theme. And so on.
These are the same steps you can use when telling any story. What is my setting? Who am I telling this story to? What effect am I trying to achieve? Where are my structural walls, i.e. what elements support my idea, providing structure and unification?
At the same time, the approach and the cadence is very different. It would be an interesting experiment to approach writing a story in exactly this method. And then again, but using the steps to painting a painting (choose a subject, mix your paints, prepare the canvas...). I have been told many broadway composers work in teams, with one writing music and the other lyrics. That would make for an interesting approach to writing.
