Current research in the engineering design requirement

Abstract

The design requirement is a description of the desired solution to a problem. In engineering design, as in all other, a clear expression of a well-formulated design goal is vital for successful and efficient completion of the design task. The nature of the design requirement and the processes by which it is achieved have been the subject of a wide variety of research. The purpose of the paper is twofold. Firstly, it sets out to collate and discuss representative research in this area in order to give an overview of the current scope of the work. Secondly, it seeks to draw a comparison with the task of developing the design requirement for software and information systems and to initiate a discussion that considers to what extent the substantial body of research in software requirements engineering might help to give an understanding of the design requirement for the engineering design domain. A tentative characterization of the differences between the tasks in the two domains is presented, and representative papers from requirements engineering are used to suggest areas of overlap as a starting point for further investigation.

A framework to support requirements analysis in engineering design

“…It can reflect the point of view of any person or multiple persons. It is an open source of information, which can be transformed for use in a variety of ways (Darlington and Culley 2002).…”

“…Matrix based methods have been used extensively (Darlington and Culley 2002, Ullman 2002, Baumberger and Lindermann 2006, Short et al 2009). …”

Constraint-Shattering Practices and Creative Action in Organizations

“…Amabile, 1996;Elster, OS-12-0089 6 2000; Stokes & Fisher, 2005;Lawson, 2006) to ad-hoc typologies that focus on domainspecific constraints (e.g. Gross, 1986;Gero, 1990;Goldratt, 1990;King & Majchrzak, 1996;Nuseibeh & Easterbrook, 2000;Darlington, 2002;Andrews, 2003;Chevalier & Ivory, 2003;Abuhamedeh & Csikszentmihalyi, 2004;Johnson, 2005;Lewandowski, 2007). In the creativity literature, ad-hoc conceptualizations tend to define constraints based on their effects on the creative endeavor (Amabile, 1982;Stokes, 2008;Sternberg & Kaufman, 2010 (Onarheim, 2012, p. 324), and acknowledge that many constraints may exist at any point in a project (Hull, Jackson & Dick, 2005).…”

A Contradiction-Based Approach for Innovative Product Design

“…The importance of conflicts and constraints in design is a well-studied subject [1], but the relationship between contradictions and creativity seems to be fairly unexplored. It not only within design but also in the creativity literature in general.…”

“…The term "constraints" often implies the restrictions of free and creativity [5], but numerous researchers pointed out that without conflicts and constraints there can be no creativity [6], [7]. Not only can contradictions enhance creativity, they are key elements for all creative activities [1], [2]. Some types of contradictions can be highly limiting for creativity [8], but without contradictions and constraints there is no problem to resolve and no potential for creativity.…”