Integrative Situated Design: Linking Functions and Affordances Through Form

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The objective of the proposed research is to develop a design methodology to support the design of situated engineering artifacts. In this research, situatedness refers to the context in which the product is used. This design framework will capture both function and affordance in the design process. Function-based design methods represent the conversion of energy, materials, and information into an abstract solution-neutral product representation that facilitates storage and retrieval of potential design components in a design repository. Affordance-based design methods focus on modeling interactions between users, the environment and the product. Currently, no design repository exists to support affordance-based design. Combining these two approaches will lead to a design methodology that overcomes limitations of each method, resulting in a unique new approach to product design that incorporates both function and affordance. A proof-of-concept repository will be developed to support this combined design method. A testbed for demonstration and validation will be created using design problems supplied by local industry. If successful, the results from this research will provide a formalized approach that integrates aspects of mechanical engineering design and industrial and product design. Traditionally, these disciplines are largely decoupled during the development of technical systems. Graduate and undergraduate mechanical engineering students will greatly benefit through course work and research that integrates multiple design disciplines, including industrial design, human factors analysis, art and architecture. Specifically, mechanical engineering students will work closely with other disciplines to understand and formalize these artifact interactions. Through this research, students will have the opportunity to interact with local design-manufacturing firms to explore design problems. Example applications include the design of industrial packaging machines, automobile subsystems, and consumer power tools. The results of this research will be disseminated through a variety of channels including academic and technical conferences.