CAREER: A Design Data Analysis Approach to Early Stage Design Process Modeling

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This Early Faculty Career Development (CAREER) project integrates research in the early, formulation stage of engineering design with education of university students and outreach to K-12 youth. The early phase of design includes the generation, exploration, and selection of potential design concepts. Decisions made during this stage can have strong impact on the remainder of the design process and its outcomes. Ideally, changes in an individual design can be tracked over the early phase of design so that potential assessments about the final design can be made. However, early stage design process is by nature highly fluid and unstructured, making such measurements very challenging. The approach that this investigation takes is to analyze the data output of the early stage design process itself, rather than focus on the design artifact alone. The goal is to model and determine methods for evaluating the concept generation and exploration process. Measures will be determined through analysis of design process information, such as text, sketches, and prototypes drawn from design artifacts and design documentation.The evolution of these artifacts and design process will be modeled and combined with process measures to serve as indicators of potential design outcomes and used as feedback for the dynamic design process. This work will be conducted in active collaboration with engineering companies, including those in the aerospace and automotive industries. Closely linked to this research are efforts to expose K-12 students to early stage engineering design via hands-on, project-based design activities with organizations such as the Tech Museum of Innovation, and through a documentary video production that promotes engineering. These endeavors aim to engage young people in early stage engineering design and cultivate their interest in engineering in general, and will likely achieve new teaching and learning paradigms for innovative engineering design.