Improving information design practice

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila Pontis ◽  
Michael Babwahsingh
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Effective Communication ◽  
Information Design ◽  
Initial Problem ◽  
Design Practice ◽  
Design Activities ◽  
Design Solutions ◽  
Tools And Techniques

As novel tools and techniques for visualizing information grow popular, many information design solutions are increasingly demonstrating high technical and visual sophistication, but often at the expense of thoughtful, effective communication. This recurring phenomenon highlights an overemphasis on the production of design outputs and failure to understand the initial problem, content, and audience early in a project. We assert that ineffective information design results primarily from a lack of rigor in the conceptual stage of the design process, when critical decisions determine the end result. We propose 23 methods information designers may adopt to reinforce their conceptual design activities.

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.

Back and Forth: Using Conversation Analysis to Explore Dialogues of Sharedness of Mental Models

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Yi ◽  
Nicole B. Damen ◽  
Christine A. Toh
Keyword(s):  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Mental Models ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Team Performance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Design Teams ◽  
Design Practice ◽  
Team Mental Models ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Design Activities

Abstract Shared mental models have been shown to enhance team performance. However, research has not observed the different types of sharedness of mental models that may uniquely impact the design process. Therefore, this study examines the types of sharedness of mental models that occur in design teams using Conversation Analysis on data collected from two design teams that performed activities in the early design process in a controlled lab environment. Designers were asked to develop an agreed upon list of ranked design principles, and then generate one or two solutions using the list. These design activities allow for the examination of the varying ways that designers share knowledge, negotiate, and reach understanding. Through our analysis, we identify characteristics of conversation that designers used to build shared understanding. Our results also show how team mental models are built from patterns of conversation that are evident during open-ended and unstructured design discussions. This work sets a foundation for future research to gain a deeper understanding of how designer mental models are shared in unstructured conversations that take place during design practice.

Constrained FBS knowledge cell model, representation, and applications for conceptual design

2015 ◽  
Vol 230 (11) ◽  
pp. 1773-1786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Ma ◽  
Jie Hu ◽  
Jin-Feng Feng ◽  
Jin Qi ◽  
Ying-Hong Peng
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Representation ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Synthesis Process ◽  
Design Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Reuse ◽  
Representation Model ◽  
Design Solutions ◽  
Design Knowledge Reuse

Conceptual design plays a pivotal role in generating creative design solutions and, in most cases, reuse of existing design knowledge is necessary. However, lack of a consistent design knowledge representation model and neglect of an integrated approach to support various formats of design knowledge reuse constrain conceptual design from transforming design requirements into practical promising design solutions. In order to solve these problems, this paper presents a constrained function-behavior-structure knowledge cell (CFBS) model to provide conceptual design process with a consistent knowledge representation model. CFBS-based integrated approach for design knowledge reuse is proposed, which includes three-level CFBS retrieval process to obtain most relevant CFBS expressed in various types, three-stage design synthesis process to produce suggested design solutions, and evaluation process to select the most feasible design solutions. The effectiveness of the proposed design process was illustrated with conceptual design of the micro-feed drive module of insulin pump based on the CFBS library.

Queer-Sensible Designing

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silas DENZ ◽  
Wouter EGGINK
Keyword(s):  
Queer Theory ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Industrial Design ◽  
Gender Norms ◽  
Design Practice ◽  
Gender Scripts ◽  
Femininity And Masculinity ◽  
Design Workshop ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Design Style

Conventional design practices regard gender as a given precondition defined by femininity and masculinity. To shift these strategies to include non-heteronormative or queer users, queer theory served as a source of inspiration as well as user sensitive design techniques. As a result, a co-design workshop was developed and executed. Participants supported claims that gender scripts in designed artefacts uphold gender norms. The practice did not specify a definition of a queer design style. However, the co-design practice opened up the design process to non-normative gender scripts by unmasking binary gender dichotomies in industrial design.

scholarly journals Conceptual Design of Electromechanical Actuation Systems for Large-Sized Directional Control Valves

Actuators ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Tobias Vonderbank ◽  
Katharina Schmitz
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Function Structure ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Conceptual Designs ◽  
Actuation Systems ◽  
Electromechanical Actuation ◽  
Function Structures ◽  
Valve Actuation

Increasing performance in modern hydraulics is achieved by a close investigation of possible enhancements of its components. Prior research has pointed out that electromechanical actuators can form suitable alternatives to hydraulically piloted control systems. Since the requirements at these actuation systems depend on the operating conditions of the system, each actuator can be optimized to the respective hydraulic system. Considering that many different conceptual designs are suitable, the phase of conceptual design plays a decisive role during the design process. Therefore, this paper focuses on the process of developing new conceptual designs for electromechanical valve actuation systems using the method of function structures. Aiming to identify special design features, which need to be considered during the design process of electromechanical actuation systems, an exemplary actuator was designed based on the derived function structure. To highlight the potential of function structures for the development of new electromechanical valve actuation systems, two principal concepts, which allow the reduction of the necessary forces, have been developed by extending the function structure. These concepts have been experimentally investigated to identify their advantages and disadvantages.

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.

Research on the Green Urban Morphology Based on BIM - A Case Study on the Urban Design in Nanhe City

2013 ◽  
Vol 368-370 ◽  
pp. 78-82
Author(s):  
Ping Shu ◽  
Jun Xu ◽  
Li Jun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Urban Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Design Patterns ◽  
Urban Morphology ◽  
Theoretical Studies ◽  
Design Practice ◽  
Building Information Model ◽  
Building Information ◽  
Spatial Morphology

Based on theoretical studies of the urban spatial morphology, this paper introduces advanced concepts and methods of BIM (Building Information Model) into the urban design in Nanhe City ,and then respectively makes innovations of the urban design practice supported by BIM technology in the process of design, optimization and implementation of the program, attempting to explore BIM-based design patterns of the urban spatial morphology to make the traditional urban design process more rational and scientific, to expect to reach the green and sustainable urban spatial morphology.

Functional Design Methodology Based on Knowledge Databases Achievements

2015 ◽  
Vol 809-810 ◽  
pp. 865-870
Author(s):  
Manuela Roxana Dijmărescu ◽  
Dragoș Iliescu ◽  
Marian Gheorghe
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Design Solution ◽  
Functional Design ◽  
Design Solutions ◽  
Early Phases

Various architectures exposing certain phases of the design process have been developed. A closer analysis of the presented timelines is leading more to postpone the design solution rather than advancing it in the early phases. This paper advances a new architecture for the design process with the main emphasize on the product functional design, based on functional-constructive knowledge stored in databases, and on the principle of selecting design solutions in an incipient phase and developing them during the further design process stages.

scholarly journals Explicating concepts in reasoning from function to form by two-step innovative abductions

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ehud Kroll ◽  
Lauri Koskela
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Abductive Reasoning ◽  
Parameter Analysis ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Functional Aspect ◽  
Specific Design ◽  
Design Processes ◽  
Step Process ◽  
Design Reasoning

AbstractThe mechanism of design reasoning from function to form is suggested to consist of a two-step inference of the innovative abduction type. First is an inference from a desired functional aspect to an idea, concept, or solution principle to satisfy the function. This is followed by a second innovative abduction, from the latest concept to form, structure, or mechanism. The intermediate entity in the logical reasoning, the concept, is thus made explicit, which is significant in following and understanding a specific design process, for educating designers, and to build a logic-based computational model of design. The idea of a two-step abductive reasoning process is developed from the critical examination of several propositions made by others. We use the notion of innovative abduction in design, as opposed to such abduction where the question is about selecting among known alternatives, and we adopt a previously proposed two-step process of abductive reasoning. However, our model is different in that the two abductions used follow the syllogistic pattern of innovative abduction. In addition to using a schematic example from the literature to demonstrate our derivation, we apply the model to an existing, empirically derived method of conceptual design called “parameter analysis” and use two examples of real design processes. The two synthetic steps of the method are shown to follow the proposed double innovative abduction scheme, and the design processes are presented as sequences of double abductions from function to concept and from concept to form, with a subsequent deductive evaluation step.

A model of the mechanical design process based on empirical data

1988 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. Ullman ◽  
Thomas G. Dietterich ◽  
Larry A. Stauffer
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Level Of Detail ◽  
Cad Tools ◽  
Design Alternatives ◽  
Key Features

This paper describes the task/episode accumulation model (TEA model) of non-routine mechanical design, which was developed after detailed analysis of the audio and video protocols of five mechanical designers. The model is able to explain the behavior of designers at a much finer level of detail than previous models. The key features of the model are (a) the design is constructed by incrementally refining and patching an initial conceptual design, (b) design alternatives are not considered outside the boundaries of design episodes (which are short stretches of problem solving aimed at specific goals), (c) the design process is controlled locally, primarily at the level of individual episodes. Among the implications of the model are the following: (a) CAD tools should be extended to represent the state of the design at more abstract levels, (b) CAD tools should help the designer manage constraints, and (c) CAD tools should be designed to give cognitive support to the designer.

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