Effort-saving product representations in design—results of a questionnaire survey

Römer, Anne; Pache, M.; Weißhahn, Guido; Lindemann, Udo; Hacker, Winfried

doi:10.1016/s0142-694x(01)00003-5

Cited by 91 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Physical models, at the early stages of design, reduce designers' cognitive load by externalizing their ideas (Römer, Pache et al 2001). They help designers to visualize and solve problems involving complex systems (McKim 1972).…”

Section: Effects Of Physical Models In Design Cognitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A study on the role of physical models in the mitigation of design fixation

Viswanathan

Atilola

Esposito

et al. 2014

Journal of Engineering Design

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Designers implement a variety of models and representations during the design process, yet little is known about the cognitive impacts of various representations.This study focuses on how physical models can assist novices in mitigating design fixation to undesirable features. During idea generation, designers tend to fixate on examples they encounter or their own initial ideas. The first hypothesis states that designers tend to duplicate features of provided examples. The second hypothesis states that this fixation can be mitigated with appropriate warnings. The last hypothesis is that building and testing physical models can help designers in mitigating fixation. To investigate these theories, a quasi-experiment is conducted as Copying these flawed features creates more complicated and less effective designs.However, through the physical testing of their designs, participants identify and fix the design flaws. These results indicate that existing designs and experiences have the potential to limit innovation and that designers need to be trained with effective methods for mitigating design fixation. Building prototypes can help designers in identifying the flawed features and in reducing design fixation; hence the use of physical models in engineering design needs to be encouraged.

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Section: Effects Of Physical Models In Design Cognitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A study on the role of physical models in the mitigation of design fixation

Viswanathan

Atilola

Esposito

et al. 2014

Journal of Engineering Design

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show abstract

“…Although the term preinventive structure typically refers to unsupported cognitive structures (e.g., visual patterns, object forms, or mental models; Finke, Ward, & Smith, 1992), it may also refer to cognitive structures with the external support of sketches or prototypes. Creative cognitive processes in concept design are frequently supported by external representational systems, such as sketching (McGown, Green, & Rodgers, 1998) and the construction of mock-ups and prototypes (Römer, Pache, Weisshahn, Lindemann, & Hacker, 2001). In a survey of engineering designers, Römer et al found that 96% reported using sketches and models during the development of solution concepts.…”

Section: Preinventive Structures and Analogymentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship of analogical distance to analogical function and preinventive structure: the case of engineering design

2007

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“…At the same time, the stakes are high for generating novel, creative designs. Conceptual design has been shown to have the most significant impact on the cost of a product compared to the other phases of design (Römer, Weißhahn, & Hacker, 2001). Existing approaches to idea generation include including Synectics (Gordon, 1961), SCAMPER (Eberle, 1995), ASIT (Horowitz, 1999), Morphological Analysis (Zwicky, 1969), Parameter Analysis (Kroll, 2013), Analogical Thinking (Casakin & Goldschmidt, 1999;Finke, Ward, & Smith, 1992), and TRIZ (Altshuller, 1984(Altshuller, , 1997Terninko, Zussman, & Zlotin, 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can experienced designers learn from new tools? A case study of idea generation in a professional engineering team

Yılmaz

Daly

Christian

et al. 2013

International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation

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Generating novel ideas is a challenging part of engineering design, especially when the design task has been undertaken for an extended period of time. How can experienced designers develop new ideas for familiar problems? A tool called Design Heuristicsprovides strategies that support engineers in considering more, and more different, concepts during idea generation. Design Heuristics have been shown to help novice engineers create a set of more diverse and creative candidate concepts. In this case study, we extended this approach to a group of professional engineers who had worked on a specific product line for many years. In a workshop format, a small group of engineers worked with the heuristics in two separate sessions and generated ideas collaboratively. Video recordings were analyzed to reveal how the heuristics were used to stimulate new designs for their product line. We found that Design Heuristics bring order in ideas and elaboration on ideas, perhaps through coordinating effort on idea evaluation, increasing capacity to improve the ideas of others, and facilitating interaction between participants. This case study shows using Design Heuristics can assist even expert engineers to increase the variety of concepts generated, resulting in a larger set of ideas to consider. Keywords engineering design, idea generation, teamwork in design Disciplines Industrial and Product Design Comments This is a manuscript of an article from Can experienced designers learn from new tools? A case study of idea generation within a professional engineering teamGenerating novel ideas is a challenging part of engineering design, especially when the design task has been undertaken for an extended period of time. How can experienced designers develop new ideas for familiar problems? A tool called Design Heuristics provides strategies that support engineers in considering more, and more different, concepts during idea generation. Design Heuristics are strategies for idea generation based on empirical analyses of idea generation from professional and student engineers and industrial designers working on a wide variety of product designs. Design Heuristics have been shown to help novice engineers create a set of more diverse and creative candidate concepts. In this case study, we extended this approach to a group of professional engineers who had worked on a specific product line for many years. In a workshop format, a small group of engineers worked with the heuristics in two separate sessions, and generated ideas collaboratively. Video recordings were analyzed to reveal how the heuristics were used to stimulate new designs for their product line. This case study shows using Design Heuristics can assist even expert engineers to increase the variety of concepts generated, resulting in a larger set of ideas to consider.

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Effort-saving product representations in design—results of a questionnaire survey

Cited by 91 publications

References 8 publications

A study on the role of physical models in the mitigation of design fixation

A study on the role of physical models in the mitigation of design fixation

The relationship of analogical distance to analogical function and preinventive structure: the case of engineering design

Can experienced designers learn from new tools? A case study of idea generation in a professional engineering team

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