INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM PATENTS AS CREATIVE STIMULI FOR PRODUCT INNOVATION

This paper investigates the impact of information extracted from patents on the creative performance of R&D engineers involved in new product design tasks. The creative stimuli originated by domain specific patent sources are proposed in the form of problem-solutions maps possibly enriched with TRIZ contradiction models related to the challenges addressed by the patents. The effectiveness of this kind of creative stimuli has been checked with a two-phase experiment that involved 56 professional engineers as testers subdivided into design teams of 2 people each. The teams were initially asked to brainstorm and generate innovative ideas in the field of devices for walking support (walkers). The 28 teams were, then, exposed to 4 different treatments (7 teams each): simple brainstorming as control group, problem-solution maps with and without related TRIZ contradiction models, patent-text used as far-field sources of analogy. The results of the experiment show that the problem-solution maps alone enhance variety of generated solutions, while enriched by the TRIZ contradiction models have a higher impact on novelty despite with a smaller variety

A UX model for the communication of experience affordances

This paper outlines a model that aims to support the design for the User Experience (UX). Assuming the satisfaction of users’ psychological needs as fundamental factor to a positive UX, this study describes a representation of the possibilities offered by an artefact for the satisfaction of said needs. To this end, it adopts the concept of experience affordances as a starting point for the development of a model that frames experience affordances from a design-as-communication perspective. The model developed herein offers a schematic representation of experience affordances, as well as defines the role of the elements involved in the satisfaction of user's psychological needs through functional relationships. Benefits and limitations of the proposed model are discussed against two alternative communication models already available in literature. The advantages provided by said model can be found in the eventual support for the synthesis of solutions, due to the clear representation of the factors identified as composing an experience affordance. </jats:p

FRAMEWORK FOR CRISIS-RESISTANT ENGINEERING PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT COURSES

This paper proposes a framework for the systematic adaptation and digitalisation of engineering product development courses in the event of a crisis. Applicants can use resources of the framework to identify crisis-related boundary conditions that impact the delivery of education and are assisted in determining the necessary level of course digitalisation to respond to the crisis. Furthermore, the framework comprehends a review of modern educational teaching objectives, as well as a table containing tools and methodologies linked to educational targets. These can be used to enhance course design to keep students independently of their learning profiles engaged in study activities and to uphold an excellent knowledge acquisition in a volatile environment. An exemplary application of the framework on a CAD course in a higher education context guides the educator through the processes

CHARACTERISATION OF A CO-CREATIVE DESIGN SESSION THROUGH THE ANALYSIS OF MULTI-MODAL INTERACTIONS

The paper presents an investigation that aims at describing the behaviour of designers, designers' client and products' end user in collaborative design sessions, which are characterized by language barriers and significant differences in the background and competencies of the involved stakeholders. The study has been developed within a European project aimed at developing a Spatial Augmented Reality based platform that enriches and facilitates the communication in co-design. Through the analysis of a real case study in the field of packaging design involving a team of ten design actors, the paper analyses with an original joint approach both the gestures and the verbal interactions of the co-design session. After describing the two tailored coding schemes that capture different facets of, respectively, the gestures and the content of the communication occurring between the participants, the paper describes the partial results and the outcomes of the joint analysis, revealing the importance of combining the two forms of study to suitably characterize the behaviour of the design actors