Supporting Idea Generation Through Functional Decomposition: An Alternative Framing For Design Heuristics

Supporting Idea Generation Through Functional DecompositionAN ALTERNATIVE FRAMING FOR DESIGN HEURISTICS

Colin M. Gray1, Seda Yilmaz1, Shanna R. Daly2,Colleen M. Seifert2, & Richard Gonzalez2

1 IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY 2 UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

DESIGNERS OFTEN STRUGGLE TO CREATE A

LARGE NUMBER AND WIDE RANGE OF CONCEPTS

of a problem frame

[Ullman, Dietterich, & Stauffer, 1988]

DESIGN METHODS CAN COGNITIVELY SUPPORT

DEVELOPING DESIGNERS

[Gray, Stolterman, & Siegel, 2014; Jones, 1970; Smith, 1998]

effectively frame a problem

[Dorst, 2015; Frisch, 1993; Shalley, 1991; Tversky & Kahneman, 1981]



encourage setting of productive constraints

[Biskjaer & Halskov, 2014; Pahl & Beitz, 2007; Stokes, 2009]



RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1What functions did students select through functional decomposition, and what specific function did they choose to focus on?

How did the students’ selected focus on function affect their concept generation at each stage (ideation, iteration, recomposition)?

2

How did the students’ use of Design Heuristics affect concept generation at each stage?3

Selected Function

Stage 1:Ideation

Stage 2:Iteration

Stage 3:Recomposition

# of Themes

S1 compartments 8 TOTAL [DH:3]2: dividers5: compartments1: product with parts

6 TOTAL [DH:4]2: dividers1: compartments2: motion expand/slide1: attachment

3 TOTAL [DH:2]1: compartments2: attach together

6

S2 space saving 3 TOTAL [DH:2]1: hang in fridge2: store by stacking

2 TOTAL [DH:2)1: hang in fridge1: fl ex cover

1 TOTAL [DH:1]1: fl ex cover

3

S3 compactable 8 TOTAL [DH:3]6: fold/fi t inside1: spin to close1: cone

6 TOTAL [DH:3)2: rotate/spin3: bend/compact1: cups on both sides

3 TOTAL [DH:2]2: fold/twist1: button to power

8

S4 adjustable 8 TOTAL [DH:5]3: make big/small/tall1: attach components1: texture to cue interaction2: customize compartments1: colander

8 TOTAL [DH:5)3: make big/small/tall1: attach components1: texture to cue interaction2: customize compartments1: colander

3 TOTAL [DH:3]1: customize by user1: recyclable1: adjustable

8

S5 dries food 4 TOTAL [DH:1]4: drying mechanism

4 TOTAL [DH:2)3: mechanism altered1: dry and moisten

3 TOTAL [DH:2]1: multipurpose2: assemble/confi gure

5

S6 circulation 4 TOTAL [DH:3]2: vent/component1: motion1: human power

2 TOTAL [DH:1]2: vent/ component

2 TOTAL [DH:2]1: fl atten components1: toasting

5

S7 hand held 8 TOTAL [DH:2]5: handles3: multifunction pan/pot/plate

5 TOTAL [DH:2]1: handle4: multifunction pan/pot

5 TOTAL [DH:4]2: multifunction pot/pan1: pan topper1: measuring aid1: multifunction handle

5

S8 cleaning 6 TOTAL [DH:3]2: dishwasher space3: reverse/ fl exible/popout1: drain

5 TOTAL [DH:3]2: dishwasher space3: reverse/ fl exible/popout1: drain

2 TOTAL [DH:2]1: fl exible + dishwasher1: fl exible + nibs

5

SUPPORTING DESIGN METHODS

FUNCTIONAL DECOMPOSITION

DESIGN HEURISTICS

[van Eyk, 2011; Umeda & Tomiyama, 1997]

[Christian et al., 2012; Daly et al., 2012; Yilmaz & Seifert, 2010; Yilmaz

et al., 2010, 2014]

DESIGN HEURISTICS

DESIGN HEURISTICS

Provides prompts to help designers generate

alternatives that vary in nature, discouraging

fixation and encouraging divergent patterns of

thinking

[Yilmaz, Daly, Seifert, & Gonzalez, 2011; Yilmaz, Seifert,

& Gonzalez, 2010]

Derived from empirical evidence of industrial and

engineering designs

[Daly et al., 2012; Yilmaz, Christian, Daly, Seifert, &

Gonzalez, 2012; Yilmaz & Seifert, 2010]

Validated through a range of product analysis, case

studies, and protocol analyses, in both educational and

professional contexts

[e.g., Yilmaz & Seifert, 2009; Yilmaz et al., 2011; Yilmaz et al.,

2010; Yilmaz et al., 2013; Yilmaz, Daly, Christian, Seifert, &

Gonzalez, 2014]

METHOD• 20 junior-level undergraduate industrial design students

• Previously organized into teams of 4-5 students

• Three-hour class session in the fourth week of the semester

• Analysis of eight participants from two teams

DESIGN PROJECT

“

”

Develop an innovative kitchen product related to rising food

costs, the future of food, or the unique needs of millennials

DESIGN PROJECT

INDIVIDUAL LADDERED PROBLEM

STATEMENTS

GROUP PROBLEM STATEMENT

15 MARKER COMPS

FIRST FOUR WEEKS

INDIVIDUAL


IDEATION, ITERATION, RECOMPOSITION

60 MINUTES

TEAM

AFFINITY DIAGRAMMING

ITERATION

60 MINUTES

DESIGN PROJECT

INDIVIDUAL LADDERED PROBLEM

STATEMENTS

GROUP PROBLEM STATEMENT

15 MARKER COMPS

FIRST

INDIVIDUAL


IDEATION, ITERATION, RECOMPOSITION

60 MINUTES

TEAM

AFFINITY DIAGRAMMING

ITERATION

60

INTERVENTION STRUCTURE

DECOMPOSITION RECOMPOSITION

TEAMINDIVIDUAL

IDEATION ITERATIONITERATION RECOMPOSITION

[See the following reference for more details on team interactions: Gray, C. M., Yilmaz, S., Daly, S., Seifert, C. M., & Gonzalez, R. (2015, June). What Problem Are We Solving? Encouraging Idea Generation and

Effective Team Communication. In LearnxDesign: The 3rd International Conference for Design Education Researchers and PreK-16 Design Educators (pp. 308-329). Chicago, IL: School of the Art Institute of Chicago.]

Selected Function

Stage 1:Ideation

Stage 2:Iteration


# of Themes




6




3




8




8




5




5




5




5

1What functions did students select through functional decomposition, and what specific function did they choose to focus on?

Selected Function

Stage 1:Ideation

Stage 2:Iteration


# of Themes




6




3




8




8




5




5




5




5

DIRECTIVE a discrete physical component or interaction with a clear action sequence

DESCRIPTIVEdesired design characteristics leading to a more abstract sense of the component or interaction that might be indicated

4

2

How did the students’ selected focus on function affect their concept generation at each stage (ideation, iteration, recomposition)?

2

IDEATION heating core

ITERATION detachable top

RECOMPOSITION doubles as storage


IDEATION

n=44 of 49 primarily physical transformations

used subset of cards (often just one)


IDEATION IDEATION



n=33 of 38 direct descendants; one element altered

synthetic use; existing concept with new feature/

altered form


IDEATION IDEATION RECOMPOSITION



n=33 of 38 direct descendants; one element altered

synthetic use; existing concept with new feature/

altered form

n=12 of 22 combining/selecting/

recontextualizing

synthetic use; existing concept with new

feature/altered form

DESIGN METHODS CAN BE SYNERGISTICALLY COMBINED TO SUPPORT DESIGNERS AS

THEY EXPLICITLY SET CONSTRAINTS, USING CONSTRAINED PROBLEM FRAMINGS TO

CREATE INNOVATIVE CONCEPTS AND EXPAND DESIGNERS’ UNDERSTANDING OF

THE LARGER SOLUTION SPACE.

Thank YouCOLINGRAY.ME

DESIGNHEURISTICS.COMThis research is funded by the National Science Foundation, Division of Undergraduate Education, Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (TUES Type II)

Grants # 1323251 and #1322552.

Selected Function

Stage 1:Ideation

Stage 2:Iteration


# of Themes




6




3




8




8




5




5




5




5

Supporting Idea Generation Through Functional Decomposition: An Alternative Framing For Design Heuristics

Engineering

total dh

design heuristics colin

stage ideation

ideation stage

iteration stage

selected function stage

dishwasher space

developing designers