Complex product form generation methods have rarely been used within the field of industrial desi... more Complex product form generation methods have rarely been used within the field of industrial design. The difficulty in their use is mainly linked to constraintssuch as functionality, production and costthat apply to most products. By coupling a mathematically described morphology to an optimisation system, it may be possible to generate a complex product form, compliant with engineering and production constraints. In this paper we apply this general approach to the designing of a bookshelf whose structure is based on Voronoi diagrams. The algorithm behind the developed application used here is based on a prior work submitted elsewhere [1], adapted to the bookshelf problem. This second example of product form generation, which includes specific constraints, confirms the relevance of the general approach. The handling of complex morphologies is not straightforward. Consequently, an explorative study on that theme has been performed. A user interface has been developed that allows for designing a bookshelf based on Voronoi diagrams. The user interface was subsequently tested by peer designers. The results suggest that user attitudes diverge: one faction preferred maximum freedom of creation, that is, maximum control of the form creation process; the other faction wanted the application to generate a bookshelf based on their functional needs (e.g. adapt to the number and types of objects to be stored) and would ask for a "surprise me" effect for the final solution.
Complex product form generation methods have rarely been used within the field of industrial desi... more Complex product form generation methods have rarely been used within the field of industrial design. The difficulty in their use is mainly linked to constraintssuch as functionality, production and costthat apply to most products. By coupling a mathematically described morphology to an optimisation system, it may be possible to generate a complex product form, compliant with engineering and production constraints. In this paper we apply this general approach to the designing of a bookshelf whose structure is based on Voronoi diagrams. The algorithm behind the developed application used here is based on a prior work submitted elsewhere [1], adapted to the bookshelf problem. This second example of product form generation, which includes specific constraints, confirms the relevance of the general approach. The handling of complex morphologies is not straightforward. Consequently, an explorative study on that theme has been performed. A user interface has been developed that allows for designing a bookshelf based on Voronoi diagrams. The user interface was subsequently tested by peer designers. The results suggest that user attitudes diverge: one faction preferred maximum freedom of creation, that is, maximum control of the form creation process; the other faction wanted the application to generate a bookshelf based on their functional needs (e.g. adapt to the number and types of objects to be stored) and would ask for a "surprise me" effect for the final solution.
Tools and Methods of Competitive Engineering - TMCE'14, 2014
Computer-based design analysis is nowadays a common activity in most development projects. Used f... more Computer-based design analysis is nowadays a common activity in most development projects. Used for design evaluation, verification, validation, or as a support for design exploration, it fulfils an important support function for the engineering designer, thus making it essential to have an operationally efficient and effective integration between both the engineering design and design analysis activities in the overall development project. In this area, most works are focusing on software (mainly CAD/CAE) integra-tion, but not on the integration between computer-based design analysis and engineering design at the process level or on the collaboration between the engineering designer and the design analyst. This paper presents a review of the literature on that specific topic, namely the integration of the computer-based design analysis activity in the engineering design process. Different research topics are identified and elaborated upon: integration in general process models; rec-ommendations for the different analysis steps; analysis early in the engineering design process; integration of design analysis in the engineering designer's work; alternative usages of design analysis in the engineering design process; and others, such as recommending guidelines instead of process models, quality assurance aspects, education, and implementation issues. Some neglected aspects were also identified. Among others, there is a lack of research into the so-called technology development (development of design analysis procedures and guidelines), and a need for emphasis on uncertainties, both coupled with the design analysis activity.
It has often been mentioned that the scientific process is quite opposite to the design process, ... more It has often been mentioned that the scientific process is quite opposite to the design process, mainly consisting in the analysis of existing phenomena in order to develop a theory, the design process being a synthesis act that creates something new into the world. In the light of the developments that led to this conception and with reference to the current view on the scientific process, it is argued that the scientific process has more similarities with the design process than differences. As parallels can be drawn between both processes, some implications for further research onto the fundaments of the design activity are discussed.
2nd International Conference on Research into Design - ICoRD'09, 2009
Many studies focusing on the design activity use the interview technique as a part of their inves... more Many studies focusing on the design activity use the interview technique as a part of their investigation. Methodological discussions about the interview setting as the locus of a social interaction between the interviewer and the respondent and its implications for the interpretation of the obtained data are nevertheless rarely found in publications within our design community. Part I of this publication reviews the positions taken on that matter in different design research studies. Part II presents the social aspects affecting the interviews on the theme of design activity and the means to identify and deal with these factors. By systematically taking into account this set of social aspects during the of interview data analysis, it is believed that it is possible to identify and deal with the bias induced by social factors. The two parts can be read independently.
2nd International Conference on Research into Design - ICoRD'09, 2009
Many studies focusing on the design activity use the interview technique as a part of their inves... more Many studies focusing on the design activity use the interview technique as a part of their investigation. Methodological discussions about the interview setting as the locus of a social interaction between the interviewer and the respondent and its implications for the interpretation of the obtained data are nevertheless rarely found in publications within our design community. Part I of this publication reviews the positions taken on that matter in different design research studies. Part II presents the social aspects affecting the interviews on the theme of design activity and the means to identify and deal with these factors. By systematically taking into account this set of social aspects during the of interview data analysis, it is believed that it is possible to identify and deal with the bias induced by social factors. The two parts can be read independently.
The morphological matrix is an important element of the engineering design methodology and is pre... more The morphological matrix is an important element of the engineering design methodology and is present in many textbooks. This method originally aimed at generating an exhaustive set of solutions for a given problem, by decomposing it into subproblems, finding solutions to each subproblem, and combining them. One issue associated with the morphological matrix has been the necessity to deal with the combinatorial explosions of solutions, especially at the conceptual design phase, when the still fuzzy nature of the design problem precludes the use of automated search for an optimal solution by means of specific algorithms (the "manual engineering design" context), apart from a few exceptions. Several heuristics based on the reduction of the number of combinations are investigated, and their efficiency is assessed. It is showed that the often-recommended compatibility matrix heuristic is the least efficient and can result in overlooking potentially interesting combinations. In fact all heuristics, even combined, generally fail to decrease the number of combinations to a level that can be handled by the designers, unless the original number of combinations is low. However, if one abandons the principle of an exhaustive investigation of the combinations in order to find the "best" solution, it can be showed statistically that the probability of ending up with a "good" concept among a very large number of combinations can be attained. Moreover, it is showed that the number of combinations one is willing to investigate also can contribute to increase this probability. Moreover the experience gained from the first round of investigation can serve as a guide to choose and assess other combinations. Based on those results, some recommendations for using the morphological matrix with all the different heuristics are given. Moreover, this paper discusses and relativizes the importance of the combinatorial explosion issue of morphological matrix compared with some other advantages and shortcomings of the method.
2nd International Conference on Research into Design - ICoRD'09, 2009
Design aesthetics concerns the study of the way the features of a product are perceived by an obs... more Design aesthetics concerns the study of the way the features of a product are perceived by an observer. This paper shows that the moment of perception can be advantageously described with the help of results from affective neuroscience. It also shows, among other things, that the affective state of an individual is always prior to a later, slower, conscious cognition, and that it influences judgment during purchase and use. This can also be observed in great detail through the measurement techniques used in affective neuroscience. A comparison with current models of affect in design research is also presented. Finally, results from affective neuroscience allow the designer to play with emotions, knowing which stimuli will have an impact on the individual and when.
4th International Conference on Designing Pleasurable Products and Interfaces - DPPI'09, 2009
Brain imaging systems are a set of techniques that allow visualizing the regions of the brain tha... more Brain imaging systems are a set of techniques that allow visualizing the regions of the brain that are activated when (emotional) stimuli are presented. Their advantage over traditional methods of measuring emotion, like self-reports is that they leave out response biases. This paper presents what brain imaging measurement can do for emotional design. It also reviews the brain imaging studies that have been performed in the field of emotional design. Very few such studies were found, and they were dispersed among different disciplines: design, marketing, advertising, human-computer interaction. One of the results of that investigation is that the complexity of brain imaging systems and of designing adequate experimental setups imply that brain imaging be reserved for some very specific purposes, like obtaining the very first impression of a product design.
3rd International Conference on Research into Design - ICoRD'11, 2011
Models of the engineering design process and of the development process nowadays present similar ... more Models of the engineering design process and of the development process nowadays present similar forms in the engineering design literature and interact in a similar way. These models are often presented as generic, in order to be used in a wide area of applications. This interaction is, however, not unproblematic, and in this publication we present some important issues and challenge the generic aspect of these models. In order to increase clarity we have divided the publication into two parts. In Part I, the generally accepted engineering design and development process models are presented. The fundaments of the development model and the motivations behind its current form are highlighted. In Part II, the consequences in the form of severe shortcomings resulting from the interaction of the engineering design and development process models are highlighted. These shortcomings do not disappear when the systematic design process model is applied with alternative development process models. The implications for the further development of methodologies supporting the design and development models are discussed.
3rd International Conference on Research into Design - ICoRD'11, 2011
Models of the engineering design process and of the development process nowadays present similar ... more Models of the engineering design process and of the development process nowadays present similar forms in the engineering design literature and interact in a similar way. These models are often presented as generic, in order to be used in a wide area of applications. This interaction is, however, not unproblematic, and in this publication we present some important issues and challenge the generic aspect of these models. In order to increase clarity we have divided the publication into two parts. In Part I, the generally accepted engineering design and development process models are presented. The fundaments of the development model and the motivations behind its current form are highlighted. In Part II, the consequences in the form of severe shortcomings resulting from the interaction of the engineering design and development process models are highlighted. These shortcomings do not disappear when the systematic design process model is applied with alternative development process models. The implications for the further development of methodologies supporting the design and development models are discussed.
3rd International Conference on Research into Design - ICoRD'11, 2011
In this paper, we investigate a special case of new product development (NDP), that of radical in... more In this paper, we investigate a special case of new product development (NDP), that of radical innovation. When a company desires to go outside a current saturated market, it is necessary to offer a new product which is radically different from the competition. If successful, the offering will create a new market that the company can expect to dominate a least for a while until the competition strikes back. A radical NPD has several characteristics that are quite unique and distinct from other types of NPD. This paper aims at making a synthesis of these specificities. From this set of specificities, the ability of the current methodologies to deal with radical innovation is discussed.
21st International Conference on Design Theory and Methodology - DETC/DTM'09, 2009
A very large majority of the current product development process models put forward in textbooks ... more A very large majority of the current product development process models put forward in textbooks present a homogenous structure, the market-pull model, presented as a generic one, while other possible product development process models are merely seen as variants. This paper focuses on the task clarification and derived activities (mainly the systematic search for customer needs through market study and the supplementary development costs it entails) and investigates two alternative strategies that are not derived from the generic process model. The first alternative is the market-pull model without an extensive task clarification. The second is the application of the so-called expeditionary marketing strategy. With the help of simplified analytic modeling, the conditions for which these alternatives are as efficient as the generic process model are discussed. This advocates the development of more flexible process models.
10th International Design Conference - DESIGN'08, 2008
In this paper it is shown that the central features of systematic engineering design process mode... more In this paper it is shown that the central features of systematic engineering design process models: a step-by-step concretisation of the product with a systematic variation of subsolutions and recombination are not absolutely necessary. Current models are neither generic nor ideal. Instead of using product characteristics as a basis for design process models, the focus should be on the concrete goals of product development in industry. As these goals are manifold, the design process needs to be flexible, giving the engineering designer more freedom . Finally it is recommended to separate the feasibility study (term to be preferred to conceptual design) from more routine-like product development.
Complex product form generation methods have rarely been used within the field of industrial desi... more Complex product form generation methods have rarely been used within the field of industrial design. The difficulty in their use is mainly linked to constraintssuch as functionality, production and costthat apply to most products. By coupling a mathematically described morphology to an optimisation system, it may be possible to generate a complex product form, compliant with engineering and production constraints. In this paper we apply this general approach to the designing of a bookshelf whose structure is based on Voronoi diagrams. The algorithm behind the developed application used here is based on a prior work submitted elsewhere [1], adapted to the bookshelf problem. This second example of product form generation, which includes specific constraints, confirms the relevance of the general approach. The handling of complex morphologies is not straightforward. Consequently, an explorative study on that theme has been performed. A user interface has been developed that allows for designing a bookshelf based on Voronoi diagrams. The user interface was subsequently tested by peer designers. The results suggest that user attitudes diverge: one faction preferred maximum freedom of creation, that is, maximum control of the form creation process; the other faction wanted the application to generate a bookshelf based on their functional needs (e.g. adapt to the number and types of objects to be stored) and would ask for a "surprise me" effect for the final solution.
Complex product form generation methods have rarely been used within the field of industrial desi... more Complex product form generation methods have rarely been used within the field of industrial design. The difficulty in their use is mainly linked to constraintssuch as functionality, production and costthat apply to most products. By coupling a mathematically described morphology to an optimisation system, it may be possible to generate a complex product form, compliant with engineering and production constraints. In this paper we apply this general approach to the designing of a bookshelf whose structure is based on Voronoi diagrams. The algorithm behind the developed application used here is based on a prior work submitted elsewhere [1], adapted to the bookshelf problem. This second example of product form generation, which includes specific constraints, confirms the relevance of the general approach. The handling of complex morphologies is not straightforward. Consequently, an explorative study on that theme has been performed. A user interface has been developed that allows for designing a bookshelf based on Voronoi diagrams. The user interface was subsequently tested by peer designers. The results suggest that user attitudes diverge: one faction preferred maximum freedom of creation, that is, maximum control of the form creation process; the other faction wanted the application to generate a bookshelf based on their functional needs (e.g. adapt to the number and types of objects to be stored) and would ask for a "surprise me" effect for the final solution.
Tools and Methods of Competitive Engineering - TMCE'14, 2014
Computer-based design analysis is nowadays a common activity in most development projects. Used f... more Computer-based design analysis is nowadays a common activity in most development projects. Used for design evaluation, verification, validation, or as a support for design exploration, it fulfils an important support function for the engineering designer, thus making it essential to have an operationally efficient and effective integration between both the engineering design and design analysis activities in the overall development project. In this area, most works are focusing on software (mainly CAD/CAE) integra-tion, but not on the integration between computer-based design analysis and engineering design at the process level or on the collaboration between the engineering designer and the design analyst. This paper presents a review of the literature on that specific topic, namely the integration of the computer-based design analysis activity in the engineering design process. Different research topics are identified and elaborated upon: integration in general process models; rec-ommendations for the different analysis steps; analysis early in the engineering design process; integration of design analysis in the engineering designer's work; alternative usages of design analysis in the engineering design process; and others, such as recommending guidelines instead of process models, quality assurance aspects, education, and implementation issues. Some neglected aspects were also identified. Among others, there is a lack of research into the so-called technology development (development of design analysis procedures and guidelines), and a need for emphasis on uncertainties, both coupled with the design analysis activity.
It has often been mentioned that the scientific process is quite opposite to the design process, ... more It has often been mentioned that the scientific process is quite opposite to the design process, mainly consisting in the analysis of existing phenomena in order to develop a theory, the design process being a synthesis act that creates something new into the world. In the light of the developments that led to this conception and with reference to the current view on the scientific process, it is argued that the scientific process has more similarities with the design process than differences. As parallels can be drawn between both processes, some implications for further research onto the fundaments of the design activity are discussed.
2nd International Conference on Research into Design - ICoRD'09, 2009
Many studies focusing on the design activity use the interview technique as a part of their inves... more Many studies focusing on the design activity use the interview technique as a part of their investigation. Methodological discussions about the interview setting as the locus of a social interaction between the interviewer and the respondent and its implications for the interpretation of the obtained data are nevertheless rarely found in publications within our design community. Part I of this publication reviews the positions taken on that matter in different design research studies. Part II presents the social aspects affecting the interviews on the theme of design activity and the means to identify and deal with these factors. By systematically taking into account this set of social aspects during the of interview data analysis, it is believed that it is possible to identify and deal with the bias induced by social factors. The two parts can be read independently.
2nd International Conference on Research into Design - ICoRD'09, 2009
Many studies focusing on the design activity use the interview technique as a part of their inves... more Many studies focusing on the design activity use the interview technique as a part of their investigation. Methodological discussions about the interview setting as the locus of a social interaction between the interviewer and the respondent and its implications for the interpretation of the obtained data are nevertheless rarely found in publications within our design community. Part I of this publication reviews the positions taken on that matter in different design research studies. Part II presents the social aspects affecting the interviews on the theme of design activity and the means to identify and deal with these factors. By systematically taking into account this set of social aspects during the of interview data analysis, it is believed that it is possible to identify and deal with the bias induced by social factors. The two parts can be read independently.
The morphological matrix is an important element of the engineering design methodology and is pre... more The morphological matrix is an important element of the engineering design methodology and is present in many textbooks. This method originally aimed at generating an exhaustive set of solutions for a given problem, by decomposing it into subproblems, finding solutions to each subproblem, and combining them. One issue associated with the morphological matrix has been the necessity to deal with the combinatorial explosions of solutions, especially at the conceptual design phase, when the still fuzzy nature of the design problem precludes the use of automated search for an optimal solution by means of specific algorithms (the "manual engineering design" context), apart from a few exceptions. Several heuristics based on the reduction of the number of combinations are investigated, and their efficiency is assessed. It is showed that the often-recommended compatibility matrix heuristic is the least efficient and can result in overlooking potentially interesting combinations. In fact all heuristics, even combined, generally fail to decrease the number of combinations to a level that can be handled by the designers, unless the original number of combinations is low. However, if one abandons the principle of an exhaustive investigation of the combinations in order to find the "best" solution, it can be showed statistically that the probability of ending up with a "good" concept among a very large number of combinations can be attained. Moreover, it is showed that the number of combinations one is willing to investigate also can contribute to increase this probability. Moreover the experience gained from the first round of investigation can serve as a guide to choose and assess other combinations. Based on those results, some recommendations for using the morphological matrix with all the different heuristics are given. Moreover, this paper discusses and relativizes the importance of the combinatorial explosion issue of morphological matrix compared with some other advantages and shortcomings of the method.
2nd International Conference on Research into Design - ICoRD'09, 2009
Design aesthetics concerns the study of the way the features of a product are perceived by an obs... more Design aesthetics concerns the study of the way the features of a product are perceived by an observer. This paper shows that the moment of perception can be advantageously described with the help of results from affective neuroscience. It also shows, among other things, that the affective state of an individual is always prior to a later, slower, conscious cognition, and that it influences judgment during purchase and use. This can also be observed in great detail through the measurement techniques used in affective neuroscience. A comparison with current models of affect in design research is also presented. Finally, results from affective neuroscience allow the designer to play with emotions, knowing which stimuli will have an impact on the individual and when.
4th International Conference on Designing Pleasurable Products and Interfaces - DPPI'09, 2009
Brain imaging systems are a set of techniques that allow visualizing the regions of the brain tha... more Brain imaging systems are a set of techniques that allow visualizing the regions of the brain that are activated when (emotional) stimuli are presented. Their advantage over traditional methods of measuring emotion, like self-reports is that they leave out response biases. This paper presents what brain imaging measurement can do for emotional design. It also reviews the brain imaging studies that have been performed in the field of emotional design. Very few such studies were found, and they were dispersed among different disciplines: design, marketing, advertising, human-computer interaction. One of the results of that investigation is that the complexity of brain imaging systems and of designing adequate experimental setups imply that brain imaging be reserved for some very specific purposes, like obtaining the very first impression of a product design.
3rd International Conference on Research into Design - ICoRD'11, 2011
Models of the engineering design process and of the development process nowadays present similar ... more Models of the engineering design process and of the development process nowadays present similar forms in the engineering design literature and interact in a similar way. These models are often presented as generic, in order to be used in a wide area of applications. This interaction is, however, not unproblematic, and in this publication we present some important issues and challenge the generic aspect of these models. In order to increase clarity we have divided the publication into two parts. In Part I, the generally accepted engineering design and development process models are presented. The fundaments of the development model and the motivations behind its current form are highlighted. In Part II, the consequences in the form of severe shortcomings resulting from the interaction of the engineering design and development process models are highlighted. These shortcomings do not disappear when the systematic design process model is applied with alternative development process models. The implications for the further development of methodologies supporting the design and development models are discussed.
3rd International Conference on Research into Design - ICoRD'11, 2011
Models of the engineering design process and of the development process nowadays present similar ... more Models of the engineering design process and of the development process nowadays present similar forms in the engineering design literature and interact in a similar way. These models are often presented as generic, in order to be used in a wide area of applications. This interaction is, however, not unproblematic, and in this publication we present some important issues and challenge the generic aspect of these models. In order to increase clarity we have divided the publication into two parts. In Part I, the generally accepted engineering design and development process models are presented. The fundaments of the development model and the motivations behind its current form are highlighted. In Part II, the consequences in the form of severe shortcomings resulting from the interaction of the engineering design and development process models are highlighted. These shortcomings do not disappear when the systematic design process model is applied with alternative development process models. The implications for the further development of methodologies supporting the design and development models are discussed.
3rd International Conference on Research into Design - ICoRD'11, 2011
In this paper, we investigate a special case of new product development (NDP), that of radical in... more In this paper, we investigate a special case of new product development (NDP), that of radical innovation. When a company desires to go outside a current saturated market, it is necessary to offer a new product which is radically different from the competition. If successful, the offering will create a new market that the company can expect to dominate a least for a while until the competition strikes back. A radical NPD has several characteristics that are quite unique and distinct from other types of NPD. This paper aims at making a synthesis of these specificities. From this set of specificities, the ability of the current methodologies to deal with radical innovation is discussed.
21st International Conference on Design Theory and Methodology - DETC/DTM'09, 2009
A very large majority of the current product development process models put forward in textbooks ... more A very large majority of the current product development process models put forward in textbooks present a homogenous structure, the market-pull model, presented as a generic one, while other possible product development process models are merely seen as variants. This paper focuses on the task clarification and derived activities (mainly the systematic search for customer needs through market study and the supplementary development costs it entails) and investigates two alternative strategies that are not derived from the generic process model. The first alternative is the market-pull model without an extensive task clarification. The second is the application of the so-called expeditionary marketing strategy. With the help of simplified analytic modeling, the conditions for which these alternatives are as efficient as the generic process model are discussed. This advocates the development of more flexible process models.
10th International Design Conference - DESIGN'08, 2008
In this paper it is shown that the central features of systematic engineering design process mode... more In this paper it is shown that the central features of systematic engineering design process models: a step-by-step concretisation of the product with a systematic variation of subsolutions and recombination are not absolutely necessary. Current models are neither generic nor ideal. Instead of using product characteristics as a basis for design process models, the focus should be on the concrete goals of product development in industry. As these goals are manifold, the design process needs to be flexible, giving the engineering designer more freedom . Finally it is recommended to separate the feasibility study (term to be preferred to conceptual design) from more routine-like product development.
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Papers by Damien Motte