Chuck et al,
Some of my research moves around the periphery of this matter. I like
using wikis and concept maps to represent design information. In one
currently funded project, a grad student is looking at the use of
concept maps for early design information. As people use concept maps,
we hope to study the activities they perform and analyse the results to
make recommendations on how design activities can be helped with better
tools and methods.
I like concept maps and wikis because they're very 'free form' compared
to typical other tools engineering designers might use. As a result,
one hopes that the organisation of the information emerges from the usage.
There's many other people working on aspects of this. EG: Rob Bracewell
at Cambridge has a tool called DRed for capturing design rationale in an
IBIS-like framework. DRed charts can be thought of as examples of what
information design engineers use. If snapshots were taken of DRed
charts during their construction/evolution, one might be able to "see" a
bit the kinds of activities and order of those activities that occur.
Cheers.
Fil
Charles Burnette wrote:
> Dear List,
>
> This is worth reading and then pondering from the point of view of design -
> ie. how design information is produced, recorded and organized.
>
> http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/december7/field-120705.html
>
> We are not thinking well enough about how what we do can be captured,
> organized and analyzed. Perhaps some bright PhD candidate can "research"
> design from the standpoint of how information could and should be captured
> and organized as it is produced.
>
> I hope someone will take it on,
>
> Chuck
--
Prof. Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Ryerson University Tel: 416/979-5000 x7749
350 Victoria St. Fax: 416/979-5265
Toronto, ON email: [log in to unmask]
M5B 2K3 Canada http://deed.ryerson.ca/~fil/
|