scholarly journals Integrating Value Considerations in the Decision Making for the Design of Biorefineries

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 2927-2955
Author(s):  
Mar Palmeros Parada ◽  
Lotte Asveld ◽  
Patricia Osseweijer ◽  
John Alexander Posada
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Complex Systems ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Value Sensitive Design ◽  
Design Practice ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Design Alternatives ◽  
Biobased Production

AbstractBiobased production has been promoted as a sustainable alternative to fossil resources. However, controversies over its impact on sustainability highlight societal concerns, value tensions and uncertainties that have not been taken into account during its development. In this work, the consideration of stakeholders’ values in a biorefinery design project is investigated. Value sensitive design (VSD) is a promising approach to the design of technologies with consideration of stakeholders’ values, however, it is not directly applicable for complex systems like biorefineries. Therefore, some elements of VSD, such as the identification of relevant values and their connection to a technology’s features, are brought into biorefinery design practice. Midstream modulation (MM), an approach to promoting the consideration of societal aspects during research and development activities, is applied to promote reflection and value considerations during the design decision making. As result, it is shown that MM interventions during the design process led to new design alternatives in support of stakeholders' values, and allowed to recognize and respond to emerging value tensions within the scope of the project. In this way, the present work shows a novel approach for the technical investigation of VSD, especially for biorefineries. Also, based on this work it is argued that not only reflection, but also flexibility and openness are important for the application of VSD in the context of biorefinery design.

Public Involvement in the Design of Public Projects

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 73-79
Author(s):  
Emad S. Mushtaha ◽  
Omar Hassan Omar ◽  
Dua S. Barakat ◽  
Hessa Al-Jarwan ◽  
Dima Abdulrahman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Public Involvement ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Public Project ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Projects ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Building Program

The involvement of the public in the decision-making process is essential, especially in the early stages of a design process. This study aims to achieve the development of an architectural program for a memorial public project, using the outcomes of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) based on public opinion. It employs a novel approach that sharply focuses on public involvement in the design process, using a quantitative methodology for the development of a suitable building program and selecting a memorial form that meets the public's needs in a practical way. The study drew on data from various memorial projects to identify possible spaces and their selection criteria. A written questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 105 members of the public, to narrow down the number of spaces according to public response. Then, a hearing (spoken) questionnaire was conducted on a sample of 20 to produce the program for development by generating the most strongly preferred form of memorial. The results contradicted the existing norm for a memorial as a sculpture; it was revealed that most of the public preferred memorial landscapes to buildings and great structures. The study concluded that AHP could be used to further involve the relevant stakeholders in the decision-making process of the design of a public project.

A guided approach to conceptual design in the information design process

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila Pontis
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Information Design ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Design Practice ◽  
Intended Audience ◽  
Subject Areas

Conceptual design is often overlooked and underestimated by information designers who tend to be more focused on implementation and concerned with aesthetic qualities. Consequently, there is a lack of thorough thinking and understanding during the conceptual part of the design process that results in a recurrent development of unintelligible diagrams in information design practice. Bringing awareness to conceptual design can help designers realize its function and importance for the development of effective diagrams. To address this situation, this paper proposes the adoption in professional practice of a conceptual design tool with a guided approach, e.g., MapCI Cards. Working with this approach may aid information designers in the preparation of diagrams by guiding conceptual design tasks: understanding the diagram purpose and intended-audience, analyzing and simplifying information sources, identifying subject areas and information types, and defining their organization into a hierarchical structure. We describe this type of approach and discuss its usefulness for information designers, explaining how it could support their conceptual design decision-making. Then, we present scenarios in which working with the approach could be beneficial, followed by recommendations to use this approach in professional practice.

A Subjective Multiple Criteria Decision-Making Approach for Modeling Ship Hull Vibration

2010 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 25-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Godaliyadde ◽  
L.B. Godaliyadde ◽  
G. Phylip-Jones ◽  
Z.L. Yang ◽  
A.D. Batako ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Risk Estimation ◽  
Multiple Criteria Decision Making ◽  
Interval Data ◽  
Ship Design ◽  
Ship Hull ◽  
Design Criteria ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Reasoning Algorithm

AbstractThis article presents a subjective, novel approach to deal with multiple criterion ship design decision making on the basis of interval data. In this novel approach, quantitative interval- and single-valued criteria are modeled and transformed into qualitative criteria by using membership functions of continuous fuzzy sets. Mapping is provided to transform criteria onto a common utility space. All the interval-valued qualitative criteria are transformed by proposing a new algorithm to represent them with a single value for each linguistic term. Normalization is carried out for all the transformed criteria. By combining all the normalized data, an evidential reasoning algorithm is applied to synthesize the generic ship design criteria. Finally, an ER-based utility ranking approach is used to select the ship with the best design criteria on the basis of the risk estimation results of ship hull vibration. The results of this research reveal that the developed approach is suitable for dealing with a ship selection problem based on the risk estimation results of ship hull vibration.

Investigating the Use of Reinforcement Learning for Multi-Fidelity Model Selection in the Context of Design Decision Making

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaskanwal P. S. Chhabra ◽  
Gordon P. Warn
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Reinforcement Learning ◽  
Model Selection ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Decision Process ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
Discriminatory Power ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Formal Framework ◽  
Optimal Modeling

Engineers often employ, formally or informally, multi-fidelity computational models to aid design decision making. For example, recently the idea of viewing design as a Sequential Decision Process (SDP) provides a formal framework of sequencing multi-fidelity models to realize computational gains in the design process. Efficiency is achieved in the SDP because dominated designs are removed using less expensive (low-fidelity) models before using higher-fidelity models with the guarantee the antecedent model only removes design solutions that are dominated when analyzed using more detailed, higher-fidelity models. The set of multi-fidelity models and discrete decision states result in a combinatorial combination of modeling sequences, some of which require significantly fewer model evaluations than others. It is desirable to optimally sequence models; however, the optimal modeling policy can not be determined at the onset of SDP because the computational cost and discriminatory power of executing all models on all designs is unknown. In this study, the model selection problem is formulated as a Markov Decision Process and a classical reinforcement learning, namely Qlearning, is investigated to obtain and follow an approximately optimal modeling policy. The outcome is a methodology able to learn efficient sequencing of models by estimating their computational cost and discriminatory power while analyzing designs in the tradespace throughout the design process. Through application to a design example, the methodology is shown to: 1) effectively identify the approximate optimal modeling policy, and 2) efficiently converge upon a choice set.

scholarly journals Ranking of Bridge Design Alternatives: A TOPSIS-FADR Method

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Keshavarz-Ghorabaee ◽  
Maghsoud Amiri ◽  
Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas ◽  
Zenonas Turskis ◽  
Jurgita Antuchevičienė
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Solution Method ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Multi Criteria Decision Making ◽  
Ideal Solution ◽  
Bridge Design ◽  
Design Alternatives ◽  
Two Stages

Bridges are considered as essential structures of the transport infrastructures, which play an essential role in any road network. Therefore, the process of planning and designing bridges needs to be made efficiently. The design of bridges usually consists of two stages: conceptual design and detailed design. Designers make decisions on the overall form of the structure in the conceptual design process. This process is defined as Multi-Criteria Decision-Making problems. In this study, a modified fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution method to deal with the conceptual design process under uncertainty is proposed. The proposed method uses an area-based deviation ratio to determine the degree of difference between alternatives and reference solutions of the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution method. Using this ratio incorporates the effects of the membership functions into the evaluation process. To illustrate the procedure of the proposed method, an example of multi-criteria assessment of bridge design including three Multi-Criteria Decision-Making problems with quantitative and qualitative criteria is used. For validation of the results of the modified fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution method, a comparative analysis is also made. The analysis shows that the results of the proposed method are consistent with the other method.

Streamlining ‘environment in design' decision-making – from concept to operations in major development projects

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 679
Author(s):  
Janine M. Barrow
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Hazard Identification ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Engineering Design Process ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Major Development

As the engineering design process for a major development project advances from concept through to ready for start up, many key decisions are made and controls formulated that ultimately influence environmental, social (and safety) outcomes. These decisions are often made based on sound technical grounds with key decision logs, hazard identification or hazard and operability studies or similar used to record the process, but with limited recognition of environmental outcomes. Many of the onshore and offshore regulations in Australia (most notably, the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas (Environment) Regulations 2009) require environmental risks and impacts to be reduced to a level that is as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP). Additionally, justifiable assessment of controls and decisions are presented in the environment plans (EP) that are typically prepared later on in the design process. Challenges can often arise when geographically disparate design contractors lack ALARP assessment processes to evaluate decisions and controls from an environmental perspective and record outcomes for future use in regulatory documentation. This can be particularly pronounced for operations EPs. Janine shares her practical experience in environmental integration in engineering design to showcase methods that tangibly demonstrate robust decision-making, inclusive of delivering environmental outcomes, to regulators.

Application of System Engineering to Project Management

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 76-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J. Galli
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Project Management ◽  
Complex Systems ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
Success Rate ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
System Engineering ◽  
Development Organizations ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Engineering Projects

System engineering in complex systems has transitioned into a well detailed, universally accepted, client-oriented methodology. Unfortunately, this approach hasn't been adopted in most commercially mandated research and development organizations. This article acknowledges that to improve the success of projects, it is essential to understand the benefits of managing product requirement with system engineering. In discussion is the application of system engineering in improving the success rate through better requirement handling. It presents the elements of the relationship between system engineering and project management. The findings suggest that the full importance of applying system engineering can only be enjoyed if other pre-requisites on prudent decision-making are applied. Furthermore, the findings suggest guidance on ways of adopting system-engineering (SE) practices when implementing in large-scale engineering projects.

Estimating the Optimal Number of Alternatives to Be Explored in Large Design Spaces: A Step Towards Incorporating Decision Making Cost in Design Decision Models

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satyandra K. Gupta ◽  
Changxin Xu
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Product Development ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Optimal Number ◽  
Consumer Product ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Overall Design ◽  
Evaluation Time ◽  
Design Case Study ◽  
Optimal Evaluation

Exploration of design spaces is an important step in decision-based design. In consumer product development, precise design specifications are not known at the beginning of the design process. It is usually design team’s responsibility to find out the specifications as a part of the design process. This results in large design spaces in consumer product development. Furthermore, market window is usually limited. Thus, it is impractical to examine all possible design alternatives. As part of the design process, design teams need to determine how many alternatives to examine and how much evaluation time should be devoted to examining each alternative. This paper presents a model for estimating the optimal number of alternatives to be explored and the optimal evaluation time for each alternative by incorporating cost of decision-making in the overall design decision model. We also describe a design case study and investigate how characteristics of design task parameters influence the optimal number of alternatives and the optimal evaluation time. Our results indicate that it is difficult to intuitively identify the optimal values of the number of alternatives and the evaluation time for even very simple design tasks. We describe the practical issues that need to be addressed to make these decisions and discuss how the model proposed in this paper can be extended to handle more general cases of design tasks.

Aiding Design Decision Making: Adapting Mathematical Paradigms to Fit Designers’ Actual Needs

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. C. Hayes ◽  
F. Akhavi
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Mathematical Models ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Quality Cost ◽  
Design Alternatives ◽  
Selection Decisions ◽  
Product Decision ◽  
Further Development

When designing products, designers compare complex alternatives and select one or more for further development. The quality of these selection decisions directly impacts the quality, cost and safety of the final product. Decision theoretic approaches for making systematic comparisons might help in this process, yet designers do not tend to use them. The goals of this work are to begin understanding why, and to identify future questions that may lead to solutions. This paper summarizes the results of two studies, 1) an ethnographic study of working designers in which their actual practices and needs were observed during decision making, and 2) a laboratory study in which designers were asked to use mathematical models to compare and select design alternatives. Based on these studies, we conclude that the mathematical models, as formulated, are not well suited to designers’ needs. We propose a research agenda that may lead to new approaches combining decision theoretic and user-centered methods to create tools that the average designer will be willing to use.

Value-Driven Design Process: A Systematic Decision-Making Framework Considering Different Attribute Preferences From Multiple Stakeholders

2016 ◽  
Vol 139 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Zhuang ◽  
Ming Hu ◽  
Fatemeh Mousapour
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Sustainable Design ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Problem Definition ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Multiple Stakeholders

In general, architectural design is a loosely structured, open-ended activity that includes problem definition, representation, performance evaluation, and decision making. A number of approaches have been proposed in the literature to organize, guide, and facilitate the design process. The main objective of this paper is to seek a logical and rigorous means to aid in developing an optimized design that is acceptable to the customer or user of the product. The convention design approaches heavily involve decision making, which is integral to the architectural design process and is an important element in nearly all phases of design. There is a need to reframe the decision-making process to transform and improve the design process in order for finial building to achieve the performance goals. The first step in making an effective design decision is to understand the stakeholders' and team players' (architect, engineer, client, and consultant) different preferences based on their needs, experiences, and expectations of the project. In this paper, we first provide an overview about conventional decision-making method and process, identify the existing attributes that contribute to decision making in design, and outline the obstacles present in making optimized sustainable design decisions due to the uncertainty of different stakeholders' preferences. Then, we present one case study to identify and compare different preferences among engineering students, practicing architects, and the general public, and we analyze how the three groups attribute different weight to the major design attributes. This paper provides some novel insights into a value-driven sustainable design process, and it will be one of the building blocks for creating a framework to integrate game theory into the design decision-making process, considering multiple stakeholders' perspectives and preferences for building attributes as future research tasks.

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