Creativity and conceptual modeling for requirements engineering

Creativity techniques have been applied to Requirements Engineering (RE) in order to find novel requirements, facilitating system and business innovation. Creativity has typically been applied to RE as part of an intensive, often multi-day workshop. Ideas are generated and recorded in a free-form, manual fashion, with much guidance from experienced human facilitators. Although this format has been successful, economic, time, and geographical pressures make this intensive process less feasible. The free-form representation of creative output (text and informal diagrams) provides flexibility in order to support creative thought, but the output of this form is not able to take advantage of much of the (semi-) automated analysis developed for RE, including trade-off analysis. In this work we address two major challenges 1) the limitations of existing creativity RE workshops, particularly their costliness and need for expert guidance, and 2) capturing creative output in a structured form, better amenable to (semi-) automated analysis and downstream development. We address these as part of a 2-3 year project focusing on integrating RE creativity techniques with conceptual modeling techniques such as goal modeling, with a focus on developing online, distributed creative support tools for RE

Computer-Aided Conceptual Design Through TRIZ-based Manipulation of Topological Optimizations

Organised by: Cranfield UniversityIn a recent project the authors proposed the adoption of Optimization Systems [1] as a bridging element between Computer-Aided Innovation (CAI) and PLM to identify geometrical contradictions [2], a particular case of the TRIZ physical contradiction [3]. A further development of the research has revealed that the solutions obtained from several topological optimizations can be considered as elementary customized modeling features for a specific design task. The topology overcoming the arising geometrical contradiction can be obtained through a manipulation of the density distributions constituting the conflicting pair. Already two strategies of density combination have been identified as capable to solve geometrical contradictions.Mori Seiki – The Machine Tool Compan

Developing digital literacy in construction management education: a design thinking led approach

Alongside the digital innovations in AEC (Architectural, Engineering and Construction) practice, are calls for a new type of digital literacy, including a new information-based literacy informed by creativity, critical analysis and the theoretical and practical knowledge of the construction profession. This paper explores the role of design thinking and the promotion of abductive problem situations when developing digital literacies in construction education. The impacts of advanced digital modelling technologies on construction management practices and education are investigated before an examination of design thinking, the role of abductive reasoning and the rise of normative models of design thinking workflows. The paper then explores the role that design thinking can play in the development of new digital literacies in contemporary construction studies. A three-part framework for the implementation of a design thinking approach to construction is presented. The paper closes with a discussion of the importance of models of design thinking for learning and knowledge production, emphasising how construction management education can benefit from them

Introduction to TIPS: a theory for creative design

A highly intriguing problem in combining artificial intelligence and engineering design is automation of the creative and innovative phases of the design process. This paper gives a brief introduction to the theory of inventive problem solving (TIPS) selected as a theoretical basis of the authors' research efforts in this field. The research is conducted in the Stevin Project of the Knowledge-Based System Group of the University of Twente (Enschede, The Netherlands) in cooperation with the Invention Machine Laboratory (Minsk, Belarus). This collaboration aims at developing a formal basis for the creation of an automated reasoning system to support creative engineering design

Innovation, design and CAE in new product development

There seems to be a need for clarification on a number of issues that are seminal for the design community: for example, the constructs of invention, of creativity and of innovation (or innovative) appear to be used interchangeably. They are all a vital interest for design but they are different things. Furthermore there is a failure to distinguish between what design has a legitimate interest in or should contribute to and that which is its direct responsibility. The authors of this paper will seek to clarify these and other issues. One of these interests is the increasing demand for sustainable practice: design has a crucial role here and this paper will explore how computer aids can be a powerful tool in this area and also more generally in both design and manufacture

Aircraft systems architecting: a functional-logical domain perspective

Presented is a novel framework for early systems architecture design. The framework defines data structures and algorithms that enable the systems architect to operate interactively and simultaneously in both the functional and logical domains. A prototype software tool, called AirCADia Architect, was implemented, which allowed the framework to be evaluated by practicing aircraft systems architects. The evaluation confirmed that, on the whole, the approach enables the architects to effectively express their creative ideas when synthesizing new architectures while still retaining control over the process

Modeling the early stages of a user-centered process in architectural design through adaptation of the methodologies of New Product Design

In order to reach a degree of quality in architectural buildings that is likely to lead to user satisfaction, architectural design relies on integrating user-related information even before generation of building concepts. However, integrating such information may be seen as a hindrance to architectural creation. It therefore seems necessary to propose a methodological approach that allows integration of a user-centred point of view as well as generation of creative architectural concepts. Our research proposes to apply a collaborative process of New Product Design (NPD) in order to further enrich the traditional process of architectural design. We will present some experimental work carried out as part of an architectural project for the design of emergency shelters, as an alternative to more usual habitats. We will then discuss the possibility of adapting NPD methodology to architectural design, and what potential this offers to improve the integration of user-related information within architectural creativity

Eco‐Holonic 4.0 Circular Business Model to Conceptualize Sustainable Value Chain Towards Digital Transition

The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize a circular business model based on an Eco-Holonic Architecture, through the integration of circular economy and holonic principles. A conceptual model is developed to manage the complexity of integrating circular economy principles, digital transformation, and tools and frameworks for sustainability into business models. The proposed architecture is multilevel and multiscale in order to achieve the instantiation of the sustainable value chain in any territory. The architecture promotes the incorporation of circular economy and holonic principles into new circular business models. This integrated perspective of business model can support the design and upgrade of the manufacturing companies in their respective industrial sectors. The conceptual model proposed is based on activity theory that considers the interactions between technical and social systems and allows the mitigation of the metabolic rift that exists between natural and social metabolism. This study contributes to the existing literature on circular economy, circular business models and activity theory by considering holonic paradigm concerns, which have not been explored yet. This research also offers a unique holonic architecture of circular business model by considering different levels, relationships, dynamism and contextualization (territory) aspects