Studies of design cognition often face two challenges. One is a lack of formal cognitive models of design processes that have the appropriate granularity: fine enough to distinguish differences among individuals and coarse enough to detect patterns of similar actions. The other is the inadequacies in automating the recourse-intensive analyses of data collected from large samples of designers. To overcome these barriers, we have developed the problem map (P-maps) ontological framework. It can be used to explain design thinking through changes in state models that are represented in terms of requirements, functions, artifacts, behaviors, and issues. The different ways these entities can be combined, in addition to disjunctive relations and hierarchies, support detailed modeling and analysis of design problem formulation. A node–link representation of P-maps enables one to visualize how a designer formulates a problem or to compare how different designers formulate the same problem. Descriptive statistics and time series of entities provide more detailed comparisons. Answer set programming (ASP), a predicate logic formalism, is used to formalize and trace strategies that designers adopt. Data mining techniques (association rule and sequence mining) are used to search for patterns among large number of designers. Potential uses of P-maps are computer-assisted collection of large data sets for design research, development of a test for the problem formulation skill, and a tutoring system.
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September 2015
Research-Article
Problem Map: An Ontological Framework for a Computational Study of Problem Formulation in Engineering Design
Andreea Danielescu,
Andreea Danielescu
School of Computing, Informatics and
Decision Systems Engineering,
Decision Systems Engineering,
Arizona State University
,Tempe, AZ 85821
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Christopher MacLellan,
Christopher MacLellan
Human-Computer Interaction Institute,
e-mail: cmaclell@cs.cmu.edu
Carnegie Mellon University
,Pittsburgh, PA 15124
e-mail: cmaclell@cs.cmu.edu
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Jami J. Shah,
Jami J. Shah
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
e-mail: jami.shah@asu.edu
Arizona State University
,Tempe, AZ 85287
e-mail: jami.shah@asu.edu
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Pat Langley
Pat Langley
Department of Computer Science,
e-mail: patrick.w.langley@gmail.com
University of Auckland
,Private Bag 92019
,Auckland 1142
, New Zealand
e-mail: patrick.w.langley@gmail.com
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Mahmoud Dinar
Andreea Danielescu
School of Computing, Informatics and
Decision Systems Engineering,
Decision Systems Engineering,
Arizona State University
,Tempe, AZ 85821
Christopher MacLellan
Human-Computer Interaction Institute,
e-mail: cmaclell@cs.cmu.edu
Carnegie Mellon University
,Pittsburgh, PA 15124
e-mail: cmaclell@cs.cmu.edu
Jami J. Shah
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
e-mail: jami.shah@asu.edu
Arizona State University
,Tempe, AZ 85287
e-mail: jami.shah@asu.edu
Pat Langley
Department of Computer Science,
e-mail: patrick.w.langley@gmail.com
University of Auckland
,Private Bag 92019
,Auckland 1142
, New Zealand
e-mail: patrick.w.langley@gmail.com
Contributed by the Design Engineering Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SCIENCE IN ENGINEERING. Manuscript received September 13, 2013; final manuscript received February 16, 2015; published online April 24, 2015. Editor: Bahram Ravani.
J. Comput. Inf. Sci. Eng. Sep 2015, 15(3): 031007 (10 pages)
Published Online: September 1, 2015
Article history
Received:
September 13, 2013
Revision Received:
February 16, 2015
Online:
April 24, 2015
Citation
Dinar, M., Danielescu, A., MacLellan, C., Shah, J. J., and Langley, P. (September 1, 2015). "Problem Map: An Ontological Framework for a Computational Study of Problem Formulation in Engineering Design." ASME. J. Comput. Inf. Sci. Eng. September 2015; 15(3): 031007. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4030076
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