Reducing the "Information Gap" Between Synchronous and Asynchronous Co-operative Design Phases

This paper aims to describe a particular role of annotations as co-operative artefacts in engineering design. In co-operative processes, where achieving a shared understanding between the participants from different domains is crucial, sharing the decisions and argumentations which lead to a solution is as important as sharing the solution itself. In our case study, we describe what we call an "information gap" between the asynchronous phase, when individual decisions are made, and the design review, when the solution is evaluated, and collective thinking influences the decisions. Then, within a conceptual design scenario, we show how semantic annotations can create a shared environment to help to reduce this gap, where all actors are able to elicit domain-specific constraints and engage discussions on design solution during the asynchronous phase.semantic annotation; engineering design; design communication; collaborative tool

An annotation based approach to support design communication

The aim of this paper is to propose an approach based on the concept of annotation for supporting design communication. In this paper, we describe a co-operative design case study where we analyse some annotation practices, mainly focused on design minutes recorded during project reviews. We point out specific requirements concerning annotation needs. Based on these requirements, we propose an annotation model, inspired from the Speech Act Theory (SAT) to support communication in a 3D digital environment. We define two types of annotations in the engineering design context, locutionary and illocutionary annotations. The annotations we describe in this paper are materialised by a set of digital artefacts, which have a semantic dimension allowing express/record elements of technical justifications, traces of contradictory debates, etc. In this paper, we first clarify the semantic annotation concept, and we define general properties of annotations in the engineering design context, and the role of annotations in different design project situations. After the description of the case study, where we observe and analyse annotations usage during the design reviews and minute making, the last section is dedicated to present our approach. We then describe the SAT concept, and define the concept of annotation acts. We conclude with a description of basic annotation functionalities that are actually implemented in a software, based on our approach

Formes et structures des annotations sémantiques pour supporter la communication en conception collaborative asynchrone

Today's collaborative design processes are characterized by an increasing number of co-operative situations, where geographically distributed participants from different domains of expertise are required to build mutual understanding of the ongoing design context, in order to collectively evaluate design solutions. 3D product representations are often used in these situations as common artefacts between the participants. In spite of the current CSCW technologies, asynchronous communication with 3D representations remains difficult. This is due to the lack of functionalities that allow the participants expressing the tacit design information on the 3D models and of mechanisms that support the participants to realise argumentative communication. The main problem addressed in this work is how the annotations can be used in 3D representations to support asynchronous design communication, in order to allow the design participants sharing and debating design information more systematically. The outcomes of this work include (1) an annotation model, allowing participants to express their design intent along with information conveyed, (2) an annotation structure, facilitating the accurate interpretation of information by unifying communicative and informational dimensions of the annotation content, (3) an annotation repository to improve annotation retrieval and re-use, (4) the Annot'Action environment as an implementation of the proposed concepts.Les processus de conception collaborative actuels comprennent un nombre important de situations coopératives dans lesquelles des participants géographiquement distribués, issus de différents domaines d'expertises, ont besoin de construire une compréhension mutuelle afin d'évaluer collectivement les solutions de conception. Les représentations tridimensionnelles de produit sont souvent utilisées dans ces situations comme l'artefact partagé entre les participants. Malgré l'avancement de technologies de Travail Collaboratif Assisté par Ordinnateur, la communication asynchrone reste difficile. Ceci est lié au manque d'une part de fonctionnalités permettant aux participants d'éliciter des informations tacites sur les représentations 3D et, d'autre part, à l'absence des mécanismes pour soutenir la communication argumentative. La question adressée dans cette thèse est de savoir comment les annotations peuvent être utilisées sur des représentations 3D pour soutenir la communication asynchrone, afin de permettre un partage plus efficace de l'information. Les contributions de ce travail incluent (1) un modèle d'annotation qui permet d'exprimer l'intention de conception, (2) une structure d'annotation qui facilite la compréhension de l'information en unifiant les dimensions communicatives et informationnelles du contenu de l'annotation, (3) un répertoire d'annotation afin de faciliter la recherche et la réutilisation des annotations, (4) l'environnement Annot'Action, une implémentation informatique des concepts proposés

An annotation model to reduce ambiguity in design communication

International audienceThis paper describes an annotation model of digital design representations which aims to provide the design actors with a way to communicate more clearly in asynchronous situations. Our objective is to develop a model that improves design communication through the elicitation of knowledge related to the context of design. We present a case study based on our observations in an industrial vehicle company where we observed and analysed annotation practices during design reviews. The Speech Act Theory is used in order to propose a model based on the concept of locutionary and illocutionary annotation acts, and annotation categories are drawn from cognitive approaches of design. An annotation scenario is then developed on the basis of the case study as an illustration of our mode

Symbolic vs. iconic: How to support argumentative design discourse with 3D product representations

International audienceThis paper presents three technical design representation cases along with a real design case, in order to discuss how annotations should be used in 3D representations to support argumentative design communication. We distinguish between two modes of representations: iconic, where the signifier is perceived as resembling or imitating the signified, and symbolic, where the relationship between representation and target object is fundamentally arbitrary or purely conventional, so that the relationship must be learnt. The design cases are discussed according to this approach, in order to show how mode of representation of design artefacts has evolved according to the different sharing contexts, and the advantages that their modes offer respectively in their context of use. This analysis shows how iconic 3D representations must be enhanced by symbolic annotations, in order to support asynchronous argumentative design communication

A speech-act theory based information model to support design communication through annotations

International audienceThe aim of this paper is to describe an annotation model based around design representations. The model tends to promote more successful co-operation between design actors and enables more systematic knowledge sharing. Our annotation model is a set of digital artefacts, which have a semantic dimension. These artefacts aim to improve the design communication through the elicitation of knowledge about the context. We develop a linguistics pragmatics approach, based on Speech Act Theory to characterize annotations in design cooperation. By following the utterance and illocutionary force concepts, we develop locutionary and illocutionary annotation acts concepts. Then, we present an information model on the basis of these concepts. Finally, we propose functionalities for an annotation tool based on our approach

A speech-act theory based information model to support design communication through annotations

International audienceThe aim of this paper is to describe an annotation model based around design representations. The model tends to promote more successful co-operation between design actors and enables more systematic knowledge sharing. Our annotation model is a set of digital artefacts, which have a semantic dimension. These artefacts aim to improve the design communication through the elicitation of knowledge about the context. We develop a linguistics pragmatics approach, based on Speech Act Theory to characterize annotations in design cooperation. By following the utterance and illocutionary force concepts, we develop locutionary and illocutionary annotation acts concepts. Then, we present an information model on the basis of these concepts. Finally, we propose functionalities for an annotation tool based on our approach

Formes et structures des annotations sémantiques pour supporter la communication en conception collaborative asynchrone

Les processus de conception collaborative actuels comprennent un nombre important de situations coopératives dans lesquelles des participants géographiquement distribués, issus de différents domaines d'expertises, ont besoin de construire une compréhension mutuelle afin d'évaluer collectivement les solutions de conception. Les représentations tridimensionnelles de produit sont souvent utilisées dans ces situations comme l'artefact partagé entre les participants. Malgré l'avancement de technologies de Travail Collaboratif Assisté par Ordinnateur, la communication asynchrone reste difficile. Ceci est lié au manque d'une part de fonctionnalités permettant aux participants d'éliciter des informations tacites sur les représentations 3D et, d'autre part, à l'absence des mécanismes pour soutenir la communication argumentative. La question adressée dans cette thèse est de savoir comment les annotations peuvent être utilisées sur des représentations 3D pour soutenir la communication asynchrone, afin de permettre un partage plus efficace de l'information. Les contributions de ce travail incluent (1) un modèle d'annotation qui permet d'exprimer l'intention de conception, (2) une structure d'annotation qui facilite la compréhension de l'information en unifiant les dimensions communicatives et informationnelles du contenu de l'annotation, (3) un répertoire d'annotation afin de faciliter la recherche et la réutilisation des annotations, (4) l'environnement Annot'Action, une implémentation informatique des concepts proposés.Today's collaborative design processes are characterized by an increasing number of co-operative situations, where geographically distributed participants from different domains of expertise are required to build mutual understanding of the ongoing design context, in order to collectively evaluate design solutions. 3D product representations are often used in these situations as common artefacts between the participants. In spite of the current CSCW technologies, asynchronous communication with 3D representations remains difficult. This is due to the lack of functionalities that allow the participants expressing the tacit design information on the 3D models and of mechanisms that support the participants to realise argumentative communication. The main problem addressed in this work is how the annotations can be used in 3D representations to support asynchronous design communication, in order to allow the design participants sharing and debating design information more systematically. The outcomes of this work include (1) an annotation model, allowing participants to express their design intent along with information conveyed, (2) an annotation structure, facilitating the accurate interpretation of information by unifying communicative and informational dimensions of the annotation content, (3) an annotation repository to improve annotation retrieval and re-use, (4) the Annot'Action environment as an implementation of the proposed concepts.GRENOBLE1-BU Sciences (384212103) / SudocSudocFranceF

Using a Semiotic Classification to Characterise Objects Involved in Collaborative Design

International audienceThis paper addresses the problem of expression and sharing of domain-specific constraints and knowledge in engineering design. Pierce's theory of signs allows understanding why purely graphical 3D CAD systems partially fail to support design teams during design review meetings and more generally during collaborative design episodes. This theory can help us to go further in analysing annotation systems as symbolic systems of signs and we draw a parallel with the 2D standard drawing system, as they have the same semiotic nature. We show that semantic annotations can be considered to improve the semiotic richness in 3D CAD representations. A case study illustrates the need for co-operation support to multi disciplinary design teams. In this paper we support the idea that future design tools should integrate both symbolic and iconic types of representations so that the designers could freely build shared representations taking advantage of the whole symbolic-iconic spectrum. We propose future developments reconciling the graphical precision of 3D digital models with the semantic richness of symbolic systems of signs