The design of the design of the entity is one of the most important cells of the genopersistation recursion. It answers the question: "How are you going to design the entity?" It designs the system which will be used to design the entity. This system includes hardware, software, people, processes, information, matter, energy, organization, and purpose. Mistree, Smith, and Bras (1993) call this meta-design.

Since metadesign is design, it is a contraction mapping. The metadesign purpose and means deployment at the top level is:

• [design,[design,entity]]
  • [generate,[design,entity]_option_set]
  • [generate,[design,entity]_selection_criteria_set]
  • [generate,[design,entity]_option_reduction_mapping]
  • [apply,[design,entity]_option_reduction_mapping]

The full expansion is:

• [design,[design,entity]]
  • [generate,[design,entity]_option_set]
    • [generate,[generate,entity_option_set]_option_set]
    • [generate,[generate,entity_selection_criteria_set]_option_set]
    • [generate,[generate,entity_option_reduction_mapping]_option_set]
    • [generate,[apply,entity_option_reduction_mapping]_option_set]
  • [generate,[design,entity]_selection_criteria_set]
    • [generate,[generate,entity_option_set]_selection_criteria_set]
    • [generate,[generate,entity_selection_criteria_set]_selection_criteria_set]
    • [generate,[generate,entity_option_reduction_mapping]_selection_criteria_set]
    • [generate,[apply,entity_option_reduction_mapping]_selection_criteria_set]
  • [generate,[design,entity]_option_reduction_mapping]
    • [generate,[generate,entity_option_set]_option_reduction_mapping]
    • [generate,[generate,entity_selection_criteria_set]_option_reduction_mapping]
    • [generate,[generate,entity_option_reduction_mapping]_option_reduction_mapping]
    • [generate,[apply,entity_option_reduction_mapping]_option_reduction_mapping]
  • [apply,[design,entity]_option_reduction_mapping]
    • [apply,[generate,entity_option_set]_option_reduction_mapping]
    • [apply,[generate,entity_selection_criteria_set]_option_reduction_mapping]
    • [apply,[generate,entity_option_reduction_mapping]_option_reduction_mapping]
    • [apply,[apply,entity_option_reduction_mapping]_option_reduction_mapping]

It is here that design methods (Jones, 1992) are of particular value.

The implementation of [generate,[generate,entity_option_set]_option_set] is the activity to define the set of ways in which the design process can generate entity options. From Jones (1992) we note that we can use brainstorming, literature search, user interviews, and synectics. We could also use brainwriting or the theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ).

The implementation of [generate,[generate,entity_selection_criteria_set]_option_set] is the activity to define the set of ways in which the design process selection criteria can be generated. We could use brainstorming, brainwriting, user interviews, surveys, and focus groups.

The implementation of [generate,[generate,entity_option_reduction_mapping]_option_set] is the activity to define the set of possible design process reduction mappings. We could use brainstorming, brainwriting, interviews with mathematicians, and surveys of mathematicians.

And so on for the other 13 metadesign activities.

References

• Jones, J. C. (1992). Design Methods, 2nd. ed., Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, NY, USA.
• Mistree, F., W. Smith, and B. Bras (1993). "A Decision-Based Approach to Concurrent Engineering," in Parsaei, H. R. and W. G. Sullivan, Concurrent Engineering: Contemporary Issues and Modern Design Tools, Chapman & Hall, London, UK.

Bibliographies

Design of the Design Bibliography

Originated on 960901 | Improved on 970301
Author Ed Dean | Curator Al Motley