A Case Study Contrasting German Systematic Engineering Design With Affordance Based Design

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan R. A. Maier ◽  
Georges M. Fadel
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Theory ◽  
Product Architecture ◽  
Customer Needs ◽  
Design Project ◽  
Function Solution ◽  
Selection Processes ◽  
Design Theories ◽  
High Level

In the young field of engineering design theory, various approaches to design differ in their conceptual bases, methods, and scope. These core differences make comparing design theories difficult. One strategy to overcome these differences, long used in the social sciences to test and compare theories, is the case study. In this paper we adopt a published design project, that of a computer monitor stand, and use it as a case study to compare two design theories. The design project was originally conducted using a form of German Systematic Engineering Design (GSED). We contrast those original results with what is obtainable using Affordance Based Design (ABD). Important insights into the differences between these two design theories quickly emerge. Among the differences found are the ways in which: customer needs data is interpreted and handled, product characteristics are represented, customer needs data flows into the ideation and selection processes, and bound and target data are utilized. Perhaps the most important difference shown is at what stage, and how, the product architecture is designed. In GSED, typically the product architecture arises in a bottom-up fashion from a combination of various sub-function solution principles. However, in ABD, the product architecture is the first subject of ideation and selection, as the high-level architecture determines in a top-down fashion most of the lower-level affordances that are designed subsequently. While no two design projects, design teams, or design methods are the same, it is hoped that this particular case study elucidates some of the salient differences between an established and a nascent design theory.

Design Theory and Methodology in Eastern Europe

1990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Arciszewski
Keyword(s):  
Soviet Union ◽  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Theory ◽  
Design Research ◽  
East Germany ◽  
The Soviet Union ◽  
Research Environments ◽  
Design Theories ◽  
Design Theory And Methodology

Abstract The paper provides a brief review of general tendencies and interesting developments in the area of engineering design theory and methodology in Eastern Europe. This review is limited to East Germany, Poland, and the Soviet Union. Particular attention was given to the design research environments in individual countries, and to developed design theories and methods in the context of these environments.

Graduate Attribute Based Continuous Course Improvement in a Blended Learning Engineering Design Course – A Writing Improvement Case Study

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marnie Vegessi Jamieson ◽  
John M. Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Chemical Process ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Writing Improvement ◽  
Design Project ◽  
Final Design

The Capstone Chemical Process DesignCourse instructors engaged with Writing Across theCurriculum to develop and then provide writing seminarsfor students taking the second blended learning iterationof the design course to address needs identified bystudents in a pre course skill self assessment. The goals ofthis initiative were to further develop students’ technicalwriting abilities, encourage ongoing writing during thecourse, and to help students develop better strategies toprepare preliminary and final design project reports.Students’ attendance and reaction to the voluntaryseminar sessions were measured as part of an armslength survey and used as input to the course continuousimprovement process. The results and follow up steps arereported.

A product architecture-based tool for bioinspired function-sharing

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devesh Bhasin ◽  
Daniel A. McAdams ◽  
Astrid Layton
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Product Architecture ◽  
Biological Structures ◽  
Structure Tree ◽  
Single Structure ◽  
Function Sharing ◽  
Architectural Characteristics

Abstract In this work, we show that bioinspired function-sharing can be effectively applied in engineering design by abstracting and emulating the product architecture of biological systems that exhibit function-sharing. Systems that leverage function-sharing enable multiple functions to be performed by a single structure. Billions of years of evolution has led to the development of function-sharing adaptations in biological systems. Currently, engineers leverage biological function-sharing by imitating serendipitously encountered biological structures. As a result, utilizing bioinspired function-sharing remains limited to some specific engineering problems. To overcome this limitation, we propose the Function-Behavior-Structure tree as a tool to simultaneously abstract both biological adaptations and the product architecture of biological systems. The tool uses information from an existing bioinspired design abstraction tool and an existing product architecture representation tool. A case study demonstrates the tool's ability to abstract the product architectural characteristics of function-sharing biological systems. The abstracted product architectural characteristics are then shown to facilitate problem-driven bioinspiration of function-sharing. The availability of a problem-driven approach may reduce the need to imitate biological structures to leverage biological function-sharing in engineering design. This work is a step forward in analyzing biological product architectures to inspire engineering design.

scholarly journals An Introductory Design Project Case Study: Cardboard Beds for Emergency/Refugee Situations

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Maw
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
First Year ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
Design Project ◽  
Emergency Shelters ◽  
The Future ◽  
Design Students

In the Fall of 2013, first-year Mount RoyalUniversity engineering design students completed a 5-week long team-based project with the objective ofproducing a cardboard bed for emergency/refugeesituations. The project was a success and this paperdetails how it was run, what lessons were learned, and thenature of the outcomes. For those considering a similartype of project in the future, resources and client groupsare described. Ultimately, the student groups were ableto design a variety of cardboard beds that supported atleast one adult, comfortably. Variations included bedsfor African cholera outbreaks, Syrian and African refugeecamps, and Canadian emergency shelters.

DEFINING THE APPROPRIATE COURSE PROJECT FOR FOSTERING THE EXPECTED COGNITIVE COMPETENCIES: EBD APPROACH TO AN ENGINEERING DESIGN COURSE

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amirali Ommi ◽  
Yong Zeng
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Real World ◽  
Design Problem ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Successful Completion ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Design Project ◽  
House Design

Project-based learning is an inevitable part of current course curriculums, especially in engineering design courses. Incorporating course projects in curriculums is done for overcoming the lack of students’ familiarity with real-world challenges. Students either acquire or further develop those specific competencies upon successful completion of the course project. Thus, defining an appropriate course project becomes essential. The competencies that are fostered may depend either on the design problem or the project contexts. In this study, we employ an EBD approach to developing a framework for evaluating a course project regarding its fitness to course learning objectives. This framework makes it possible to elicit required competencies for accomplishing a course project and comparing it with the set of competencies in the course learning objectives. A case study of a flying house design project is presented to demonstrate the framework application. The discussion of the proposed framework and future directions to our research are presented at the end.

The Repeatability of High Definition Design Structure Matrix (HDDSM) Models for Representing Product Architecture

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew H. Tilstra ◽  
Carolyn C. Seepersad ◽  
Kristin L. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Design Theory ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
Product Architecture ◽  
Design Structure Matrix ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
High Definition ◽  
Structure Matrix ◽  
Customer Needs ◽  
Design Structure ◽  
Kappa Agreement

Product architecture has implications for product success that go beyond meeting basic customer needs or performance requirements. The mapping of functions to components and the interactions between them impacts the potential for using all or part of the product to build a family of products, the ease with which the product can be redesigned to meet previously unanticipated customer needs, and the way in which engineering design changes propagate during the design process. For practical applications of design theory, it would be beneficial to have a comprehensive and robust model that captures product architecture and can be used for multiple purposes. Some fields of design research have used variations of a Design Structure Matrix (DSM) to record the interactions between elements of a system. The High Definition Design Structure Matrix (HDDSM) has been proposed as a model that limits the subjectivity required from designers by capturing the existence of very specific types of interactions between product components. This work evaluates the repeatability of HDDSM models created by different examiners for a set of electromechanical products. The inter-rater agreement between HDDSM models created by pairs of examiners is determined by calculating the kappa agreement index for each type of component interaction. The results of this initial study demonstrate very encouraging levels of repeatability across examiners for different types of products. Based on these results, recommendations are provided for creating objective models of product architecture and using such models for a number of exploratory research tasks, such as automated analysis of design guidelines.

Integration of a Client-Based Design Project Into the Sophomore Year

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacquelyn K. S. Nagel ◽  
Robert L. Nagel ◽  
Eric Pappas ◽  
Olga Pierrakos
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Real World ◽  
Design Theory ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Design Project ◽  
Engineering Design Process ◽  
Course Sequence ◽  
Two Phases

Often engineering design instruction based on real-world, client-based projects is relegated to a final year capstone course. The engineering program at James Madison University (JMU), however, emphasizes these real-world, client-based design experiences, and places them throughout our six-course engineering design sequence. Our six-course design sequence is anchored by the sophomore design course sequence, which serves as the cornerstone to the JMU engineering design sequence. The cornerstone experience in the sophomore year is meant to enable mastery through both directed and non-directed learning and exploration of the design process and design tools. To that end, students work in both small (4–5) and large (9–11) teams to complete a year-long design project. The course project is woven with instruction in engineering design theory and methodology; individual cognitive processes, thinking, and communication skills; decision making; sustainable design; problem solving; software; and project management. Students’ overarching task during the first semester is to follow the first two phases of the engineering design process—Planning and Concept Generation—while in the second semester, students work to reiterate on the first two phases of the engineering design process before prototyping, testing, and refining a design for the client. The project culminates with the students demonstrating their final product to the client, University, and local community. Our goal in this paper is to present our model for integrating real-world, client-based design projects into the sophomore year to facilitate meaningful design experiences across the curriculum. We believe that providing these experiences early and often not only challenges students on multiple dimensions, but also exposes them, and consequently better prepares them, for their eventual role as a practicing engineer. In this paper, we shall describe the sophomore design course sequence, the history and details of the course project, and also key learning outcome gains.

The Affordance Structure Matrix: A Concept Exploration and Attention Directing Tool for Affordance Based Design

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan R. A. Maier ◽  
Thulasiram Ezhilan ◽  
Georges M. Fadel
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Vacuum Cleaner ◽  
Structure Matrix ◽  
Individual Concept ◽  
Concept Exploration ◽  
Exploration Tool ◽  
High Level ◽  
Design Freedom

The theory of affordances has been adapted by the authors into a high-level approach to design known as affordance based design. One of the features that distinguishes the affordance based approach from function based approaches is that affordances are form dependent whereas functions are form independent. While delaying consideration of form can help maintain design freedom, considering the structure of multiple concept solutions early in the design process can preserve design freedom while allowing the designer to manipulate and refine concept structures and make prototypes early in the design process. In this paper we present a tool, the affordance-structure matrix, that aids the designer in mapping artifact structures to positive and negative affordances for the project. The affordance structure matrix can be used as an attention directing tool, focusing on the correlations within an individual concept architecture, or as a concept exploration tool, comparing the affordance-structure linkages across multiple concepts. The use of the affordance structure matrix is demonstrated using a case study examining two concept architectures for a household vacuum cleaner. The features of the affordance structure matrix are also contrasted with other existing matrix based tools for engineering design.

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