Comparing Engineering Design Methods: a Protocol Analysis-Based Design Cognition Approach

George Mason University, Fairfax VA

Investigators

Abstract

The research objective of this award is to determine the cognitive differences of different engineering design methods. The understanding of engineering design based on scientific evidence is still in its infancy. The approach is to utilize protocol studies, under development in design cognition, using on a principled coding scheme founded on Gero?s Function-Behavior-Structure ontology of designing. Individuals will be taught a range of design methods. Design teams will be formed and given open-ended design tasks. Design teams will be studied using the protocol method while employing one of the taught methods. The resulting design proposals will be evaluated. The protocols will be segmented and coded using the principled coding scheme. The resulting codings and the ensuing linkographs will be analyzed for cognitive structures using statistical techniques including clustering and Markov chain analysis. In addition, entropy analyses of the linkographs and the change in entropy over time will be calculated. The results from these analyses will form the basis of the comparison of the cognitive differences between the engineering design methods studied. A correlation between engineering design cognitive behavior and design outcomes will be carried out. Deliverables will include: empirical data on engineering design behavior in the form of videos of design sessions of teams using different design methods; transcriptions of the design sessions; coded data; linkographs; and the results of the analyses. These represent different levels of granularity from data through to highly processed information. If successful, the results of this research will provide support for a science of engineering design by providing a principled method and a base of results that can be utilized to compare methods and models. The award will demonstrate analytical techniques for the analysis of engineering design protocols using engineering design domain knowledge, techniques which can be used across the entire domain of engineering design. The results will provide the foundation for the evaluation of engineering design tools and techniques.