Design Rationale Acquisition in Conceptual Design by Hierarchical Integration of Action, Model and Argumentation

Abstract

This paper proposes a framework for acquiring design rationale in the conceptual design. Knowledge management is getting much attention for supporting the early phases of design process. While the research outcomes on design rationale might be useful in the direction, their capabilities are still far from practice. Such outcomes are categorized into model-based, argumentation-based and action-based frameworks. These are complementary when knowledge acquisition facility and explanatory power is considered. This paper introduces the hierarchical model of design rationale for overcoming the shortcomings of individual approaches under three frameworks. It consists of argument level, model operation level and action level. Argument level represents a designer’s decision making process. Model operation level represents a sequence of design operations. A design operation follows and is followed by a design stage, which records a design snapshot over conceptual product model. Action level represents design process as a sequence of operation primitives, which are elementary and atomic operations on the product model. These linkages of three levels enable to automatically acquire design rationale through operation primitives over a design support system.

Development of an automotive user interface design knowledge system

“…In the study, the design rationale and knowledge required for complex decision making were represented as issues in the system. Subsequently, a variety of knowledge management systems emerged such as gIBIS [13] and DRIFT [22]. Although design knowledge system has strong intellectual appeal in the research community, the number of examples that can be successfully applied in industry and design is very limited.…”

Knowledge Model for Managing Product Variety and Its Reflective Design Process

“…We have been researching a knowledge management oriented design support framework to dynamically acquire designer's knowledge, which is used in reflective design process, as a by-product of design without forcing additional effort on a designer (Nomaguchi et al, 2004). It is an implementation of an ontology based approach to formally capture reflective design process.…”

“…This research employs a knowledge management oriented design support system which we have been developing (Nomaguchi et al, 2004) in order to support reflective process of designing product architecture and product family. This section explains the features of the system to formally capture reflective design process.…”

“…For design repository without data redundancy and incorrectness, this research defines an ontology of product architecture and family design. For supporting reflective design process, a knowledge management oriented design support system which we have been developing (Nomaguchi et al, 2004) is used. This system automatically captures design process and generate an argumentation structure based on IBIS (Issue Based Information System) (Kunz and Rittel, 1970) in order to represent a designer's reflective process.…”

“…Section 3 proposes an ontology of product architecture and family design. Section 4 briefly explains the features of a knowledge management oriented design support system which we have been developing (Nomaguchi et al, 2004).…”