Handling design perceptions: an axiomatic design perspective

This study develops a method for determining optimal design embodiments under the following assumptions: (1) the design approach involves the axiomatic design theory and (2) the design-relevant information refers to a designer’s intuition, expressible as f-granular information. The optimal design embodiments are then obtained by determining such optimal set of crisp points having definiteness positions close to each other. Here, a crisp point means a value of one of the parameters needed to specify the design. The definiteness position of a crisp point depends on two factors: (1) how much a designer knows about this point, and (2) how desirable it is to design the actual product. The usefulness of the proposed method is demonstrated by an example that involves both weight and dimension measures. As axiomatic-design-theoretic practices move further into the age of design automation, various machine intelligence techniques capable of computing qualitative information (f-granular information) rather than numbers (numerical or semi-numerical information) will be needed. This study is intended to further such investigations.

A ranking of supply chain management journals based on departmental lists

The issue of journal rankings has been an issue of frequent debate, likely due to the effect rankings can have on academic careers. While many rankings have been done over the years, few, if any, take into account what really matters to academics’ careers, how their own departments evaluate their research. This study collected department journal ranking lists from top international supply chain programmes. The resulting data, approximately 70% US and 30% international, presents a diverse perspective on the journals considered when analysing research productivity. A cluster analysis is performed and the results are compared with impact factors for select journals; we also discuss the differences highlighted between perceived rankings based on the departments’ geographic location. The results show that the field still has some divisions.     

A survey of Quality Engineering–Management journals by bibliometric indicators

This paper analyses some of the most popular scientific journals in the Quality field from the point of view of three bibliometric indicators: the Hirsch (h) index for journals, the total number of citations and the h‐spectrum. In particular, h‐spectrum is a novel tool based on h, making it possible to (i) identify a reference profile of the typical authors of a journal; (ii) compare different journals; and (iii) provide a rough indication of their ‘bibliometric positioning’ in the scientific community. Results of this analysis can be helpful for guiding potential authors and members of the scientific community in the Quality Engineering/Management area. A large amount of empirical data are presented and discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The design of scenario-based training from the resilience engineering perspective: A study with grid electricians

Although scenario-based training (SBT) can be an effective means to help workers develop resilience skills, it has not yet been analyzed from the resilience engineering (RE) perspective. This study introduces a five-stage method for designing SBT from the RE view: (a) identification of resilience skills, work constraints and actions for re-designing the socio-technical system; (b) design of template scenarios, allowing the simulation of the work constraints and the use of resilience skills; (c) design of the simulation protocol, which includes briefing, simulation and debriefing; (d) implementation of both scenarios and simulation protocol; and (e) evaluation of the scenarios and simulation protocol. It is reported how the method was applied in an electricity distribution company, in order to train grid electricians. The study was framed as an application of design science research, and five research outputs are discussed: method, constructs, model of the relationships among constructs, instantiations of the method, and theory building. Concerning the last output, the operationalization of the RE perspective on three elements of SBT is presented: identification of training objectives; scenario design; and debriefing.     

Theory construction in design research: criteria: approaches, and methods

Design involves solving problems, creating something new, or transforming less desirable situations to preferred situations. To do this, designers must know how things work and why. Understanding how things work and why requires us to analyze and explain. This is the purpose of theory. The article outlines a framework for theory construction in design. This framework will clarify the meaning of theory and theorizing. It will explain the nature and uses of theory as a general concept. It will propose necessary and sufficient conditions for theory construction in design. Finally, it will outline potential areas for future inquiry in design theory.     

Organisation design strategies for mass customisation: an information-processing-view perspective

The need to transform the organisation for mass customisation has long been recognised in literature, but the discussion has largely relied on anecdotal evidence or case studies and has limitedly taken advantage of insights from organisation theory. In this paper, we draw on organisational information-processing theory to develop solid theoretical links between mass customisation capability and four organisation design strategies aimed at either increasing an organisation's information-processing capacity or decreasing its information-processing needs. We then test the hypothesized relationships using a sample of 238 manufacturing plants from three industries and eight countries, and find that mass customisation capability is positively related to self-containment of tasks, environmental management, and use of lateral relations. We conclude by discussing implications of our results for both research and practice.     

工业设计决策问题研究

目的 对工业设计过程的决策问题进行分析。方法 通过分析工业设计决策的特点,建立了工业设计决策的语义模型,综述了其研究现状与相关设计决策方法,指出了工业设计决策面临的问题与挑战,给出了未来可能的研究方向。结果 工业设计决策的模糊性、感性与理性并存、多阶段性、非线性与动态性等特点,决定了设计决策将面临网络化、动态性、多模态、冲突性、不确定性等挑战,使得未来研究将从多源数据融合、多阶段联合决策、共识驱动决策、智能决策及借助更多的数学理论和方法等多方面,推动工业设计决策的科学化、客观化与智能化发展。结论 工业设计决策是创新设计过程的重要组成部分之一,梳理工业设计过程的决策问题,将对工业设计方法论体系的完善起到补充与推动作用,减少工业设计过程的无效迭代。     

Google Scholar University Ranking Algorithm to Evaluate the Quality of Institutional Research

Education quality has undoubtedly become an important local and international benchmark for education, and an institute’s ranking is assessed based on the quality of education, research projects, theses, and dissertations, which has always been controversial. Hence, this research paper is influenced by the institutes ranking all over the world. The data of institutes are obtained through Google Scholar (GS), as input to investigate the United Kingdom’s Research Excellence Framework (UK-REF) process. For this purpose, the current research used a Bespoke Program to evaluate the institutes’ ranking based on their source. The bespoke program requires changes to improve the results by addressing these methodological issues: Firstly, Redundant profiles, which increased their citation and rank to produce false results. Secondly, the exclusion of theses and dissertation documents to retrieve the actual publications to count for citations. Thirdly, the elimination of falsely owned articles from scholars’ profiles. To accomplish this task, the experimental design referred to collecting data from 120 UK-REF institutes and GS for the present year to enhance its correlation analysis in this new evaluation. The data extracted from GS is processed into structured data, and afterward, it is utilized to generate statistical computations of citations’ analysis that contribute to the ranking based on their citations. The research promoted the predictive approach of correlational research. Furthermore, experimental evaluation reported encouraging results in comparison to the previous modification made by the proposed taxonomy. This paper discussed the limitations of the current evaluation and suggested the potential paths to improve the research impact algorithm.     

Once is not enough: repeated exposure to and aesthetic evaluation of an automobile design prototype

In industry, design selection and refinement decisions are frequently based on consumers' one-time aesthetic impressions of a proposed design. This paper reports on a study in which the same group of people were asked to evaluate a design prototype on two separate occasions at a 3-month interval. The results reveal that their perceptions of a design concept appear to change with repeated exposure. This finding suggests that design evaluation protocols which rely on a one-time evaluation may provide misleading information to designers and design decision-makers about consumer enthusiasm for a given design over its production lifetime.     

Alloy design: a historical perspective

This paper presents a historical perspective of the progress of mankind from the bronze age to the present stage in alloy development. In particular, the last four decades have seen empiricism giving way to intelligent and informed design of alloys. A spectacular example from this decade is the design of metallic glasses with optimum magnetic properties in 1979.     

Myth and maturity: towards a new order in the decade of design

The industrial design profession has established a place for itself in a phenomenally short time. It is widely accepted as a useful service. But it is also still in the process of realizing its full potential as a service to a society going through a series of tremendous transformations.

To be human a man must understand what has been accomplished and what can be accomplished by the arts of man.