Integration of User Perceptions in the Design Process: Application to Musical Instrument Optimization

2007 ◽  
Vol 129 (12) ◽  
pp. 1206-1214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilie Poirson ◽  
Jean-François Petiot ◽  
Joël Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Multicriteria Optimization ◽  
Optimization Problem ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Musical Instrument ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
User Perceptions ◽  
New Instrument ◽  
Subjective Study ◽  
Multicriteria Optimization Problem

This paper describes a user-centered design method, which allows the integration of user’s perceptions in different stages of the design process, by taking into account his/her needs and preferences. It relies on two domains which remain generally distinct: the design with a scientific approach (generally math based) and the integration of users’ perceptions, preferences, tastes, inherently subjective. We apply this method to the design of musical instruments, products for which the feelings of the user are of prime importance, and remain so far difficult to integrate for the design/improvement of an instrument. The methodology is made of two main stages: (1) a subjective study, based on the sensory analysis techniques, during which a “product space” (a family of trumpets) is assessed by a panel of experts according to sensory attributes, and (2) an objective study of the instruments, based on the physical measurement of a specific characteristic of brasses: the acoustic input impedance. Then, data analysis is used to correlate perceptive and objective evaluations, in order to deduce design rules and to formulate the improvement of a perceptive characteristic of the product (the intonation) as a multicriteria optimization problem. The design of the inner shape (the bore) of a “new” instrument is finally made by solving the multicriteria optimization problem using genetic algorithms.

Game Theory as a Design Tool

1983 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. L. Vincent
Keyword(s):  
Game Theory ◽  
Multicriteria Optimization ◽  
Optimization Problem ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Scalar Optimization ◽  
Optimization Task ◽  
Engineering Design Process ◽  
Team Design ◽  
Multicriteria Optimization Problem

Game theory encompasses not only the familiar concept of scalar optimization, but the less known concepts of multicriteria optimization and multiple optimizers as well. This paper examines the role of game theory in the engineering design process. This is done by demonstrating how game theory as a design tool applies beyond scalar optimization to the multicriteria optimization problem. The multicriteria optimization task is examined not only from the perspective of a single designer but from the perspective of team design as well. In the latter case the design problem has been assigned to several designers each responsible for one aspect of the total design.

Robust Design Using Preference Aggregation Methods

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhihuang Dai ◽  
Michael J. Scott ◽  
Zissimos P. Mourelatos
Keyword(s):  
Robust Design ◽  
Multicriteria Optimization ◽  
Optimization Problem ◽  
Performance Measure ◽  
Preference Aggregation ◽  
Weighted Sum ◽  
Aggregation Method ◽  
Nominal Performance ◽  
Multicriteria Optimization Problem

Robust design is a methodology for improving the quality of a product or process by minimizing the effect of variations in the inputs without eliminating the causes of those variations. In robust design, the best design is obtained by solving a multicriteria optimization problem, trading off the nominal performance against the minimization of the variation of the performance measure. Because these methods often combine the two criteria with a weighted sum or another fixed aggregation strategy, which are known to miss Pareto points, they may fail to obtain a desired design. To overcome this inadequacy, a more comprehensive preference aggregation method is combined into robust design. Two examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

scholarly journals The Problem of the Second Performer: Building a Community Around an Augmented Piano

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 10-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew P. McPherson ◽  
Youngmoo E. Kim
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Musical Instrument ◽  
Design Decisions ◽  
Collaborative Project ◽  
New Instrument ◽  
Magnetic Resonator ◽  
Grand Piano

The design of a digital musical instrument is often informed by the needs of the first performance or composition. Following the initial performances, the designer frequently confronts the question of how to build a larger community of performers and composers around the instrument. Later musicians are likely to approach the instrument on different terms than those involved in the design process, so design decisions that promote a successful first performance will not necessarily translate to broader uptake. This article addresses the process of bringing an existing instrument to a wider musical community, including how musician feedback can be used to refine the instrument's design without compromising its identity. As a case study, the article presents the magnetic resonator piano, an electronically augmented acoustic grand piano that uses electromagnets to induce vibrations in the strings. After initial compositions and performances using the instrument, feedback from composers and performers guided refinements to the design, laying the groundwork for a collaborative project in which six composers wrote pieces for the instrument. The pieces exhibited a striking diversity of style and technique, including instrumental techniques never considered by the designer. The project, which culminated in two concert performances, demonstrates how a new instrument can acquire a community of musicians beyond those initially involved.

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