Using data- and network science to reveal iterations and phase-transitions in the design process

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Piccolo, Sebastiano and Lehmann, Sune and Maier, Anja; Maier, Anja and Škec, Stanko and Kim, Harrison and Kokkolaras, Michael and Oehmen, Josef and Fadel, Georges and Salustri, Filippo and Van der Loos, Mike, eds. (2017) Using data- and network science to reveal iterations and phase-transitions in the design process. In: Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED17). Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Design . The Design Society, CAN. ISBN 9781904670902 (https://www.designsociety.org/publication/39555/)

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Abstract

Understanding the role of iterations is a prevalent topic in both design research and design practice. Furthermore, the increasing amount of data produced and stored by companies leaves traces and enables the application of data science to learn from past design processes. In this article, we analyse a documentlog to show the temporal evolution of a real design process of a power plant by using exploratory data analysis and network analysis. We show how the iterative nature of the design process is reflected in archival data and how one might re-construct the design process, involving iterations between many parties, including the client, external consultants, suppliers, and designers. We also show how people use different representations during the design process and how this is associated with a design phasetransition in the process. Finally, we relate our findings with the literature on iterations and discuss implications for research and practice with application to project management and process modelling.

ORCID iDs

Piccolo, Sebastiano, Lehmann, Sune and Maier, Anja ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3890-6452; Maier, Anja, Škec, Stanko, Kim, Harrison, Kokkolaras, Michael, Oehmen, Josef, Fadel, Georges, Salustri, Filippo and Van der Loos, Mike
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)