Bryan Wiltgen

Cognitive, collaborative, conceptual and creative - Four characteristics of the next generation of knowledge-based CAD systems: A study in biologically inspired design

We envision that the next generation of knowledge-based CAD systems will be characterized by four features: they will be based on cognitive accounts of design, and they will support collaborative design, conceptual design, and creative design. In this paper, we first analyze these four dimensions of CAD. We then report on a study in the design, development and deployment of a knowledge-based CAD system for supporting biologically inspired design that illustrates these four characteristics. This system, called DANE for Design by Analogy to Nature Engine, provides access to functional models of biological systems. Initial results from in situ deployment of DANE in a senior-level interdisciplinary class on biologically inspired design indicates its usefulness in helping designers conceptualize design of complex systems, thus promising enough to motivate continued work on knowledge-based CAD for biologically inspired design. More importantly from our perspective, DANE illustrates how cognitive studies of design can inform the development of CAD systems for collaborative, conceptual, and creative design, help assess their use in practice, and provide new insights into human interaction with knowledge-based CAD systems.

DANE: Fostering Creativity in and through Biologically Inspired Design

In this paper, we present an initial attempt at systemizing knowledge of biological systems from an engineering perspective. In particular, we describe an interactive knowledge-based design environment called DANE that uses the Structure-Behavior-Function (SBF) schema for capturing the functioning of biological systems. We present preliminary results from deploying DANE in an interdisciplinary class on biologically inspired design, indicating that designers found the SBF schema useful for conceptualizing complex systems.

Information-Processing Theories of Biologically Inspired Design

Starting from in situ studies, we develop an information-processing theory of biologically inspired design. We compare our theory with two popular theories of biologically inspired design: Biomimicry 3.8 Institute’s Design Spiral and Vincent et al.’s BioTRIZ. While Design Spiral and BioTRIZ are normative and prescriptive, our information-processing theory provides a descriptive and explanatory account of the design paradigm. We examine if and how the process of biologically inspired design is different from that of other design paradigms beyond the differences between biological and technological systems. We posit that biologically inspired design appears to be a distinct design paradigm in part because it entails solution-based analogies in addition to the problem-driven analogies typical of other design paradigms.

On the benefits of digital libraries of case studies of analogical design: Documentation, access, analysis, and learning

Abstract Digital libraries of case studies of analogical design have been popular since their advent in the early 1990s. We consider four benefits of digital libraries of case studies of analogical design in the context of biologically inspired design. First, a digital library affords documentation. The 83 case studies in our work come from 8 years of extended, collaborative design projects in an interdisciplinary class on biologically inspired design. Second, a digital library provides on-demand access to the case studies. We describe a web-based library of case studies of biologically inspired design called the Design Study Library (DSL). Third, a compilation of case studies supports analyses of broader patterns and trends. As an example, an analysis of DSLs case studies found that environmental sustainability was a major factor in about a third of the case studies and an explicit design goal in about a fourth. Fourth, a digital library of case studies can support analogical learning. Preliminary results from an exploratory study indicate that DSL may support novice learning about the processes of biologically inspired design.

Representation, indexing, and retrieval of biological cases for biologically inspired design

Biologically inspired design is an increasingly popular design paradigm. Biologically inspired design differs from many traditional case-based reasoning tasks because it employs cross-domain analogies. The wide differences in biological source cases and technological target problems present challenges for determining what would make good or useful schemes for case representation, indexing, and adaptation. In this paper, we provide an information-processing analysis of biologically inspired design, a scheme for representing knowledge of designs of biological systems, and a computational technique for automatic indexing and retrieval of biological analogues of engineering problems. Our results highlight some important issues that a case-based reasoning system must overcome to succeed in supporting biologically inspired design.

An information-processing account of creative analogies in biologically inspired design

Biologically inspired design perhaps is one of the most important movements in engineering design. The paradigm espouses use of analogies to biology in generating conceptual designs for new technologies. In this paper, we briefly summarize some empirical findings about biologically inspired design, and then develop an information-processing theory of creative analogies in biologically inspired design. We also compare our theory with similar theories. In addition, we examine how biologically inspired design is fundamentally different from other design paradigms.

Learning Functional Models of Biological Systems for Biologically Inspired Design

Biologically inspired design uses cross-domain analogies from biology to engineering to enhance design creativity and innovation. This analogical transfer requires conceptual understanding of biological systems. In this paper, we describe a prototype interactive knowledge-based design environment called DANE for supporting conceptual understanding through learning about functional models of biological designs. We present initial results from deploying DANE in an interdisciplinary class on biologically inspired design, indicating that designers found DANEs functional models useful for conceptualizing complex systems.

Intelligent Search for Biologically Inspired Design

In Biologically Inspired Design (BID), engineers use biology as a source of ideas for solving engineering problems. However, locating relevant literature is difficult due to vocabulary differences and lack of domain knowledge. IBID is an intelligent search mechanism that uses a functional taxonomy to direct search and a formal modeling notation for annotating relevant search targets.

The Design Study Library: Compiling, Analyzing and Using Biologically Inspired Design Case Studies

We describe an interactive tool called the Design Study Library (DSL) that provides access to a digital library of case studies of biologically inspired design. Each case study in DSL describes a project in biologically inspired design from the inception of a design problem to the completion of a conceptual design. The approximately 70 case studies in DSL come from several years of collaborative design projects in an interdisciplinary class on biologically inspired design. Compilation of these case studies enables deeper analysis of biologically inspired design projects. An analysis of some 40 case studies indicates that environmental sustainability was a major factor in about two thirds of the projects. DSL also appears to support learning about biologically inspired design. Preliminary results from a small, formative pilot study indicate that DSL supports learning about the processes of biologically inspired design.

On the Role of Analogy in Resolving Cognitive Dissonance in Collaborative Interdisciplinary Design

Analogies play multiple roles in cognition. In this paper, we explore the roles of analogy in collaborative interdisciplinary design. We describe two analyses of a case study of a design team engaged in biologically inspired design. In the first analysis, we sought to understand the multiple roles of analogy in interdisciplinary design. The goal of the second analysis was to understand the relationship between analogy and collaboration. During this latter analysis, we discovered another, unexpected, role for analogy: resolving cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance typically refers to the mental discomfort a person experiences when simultaneously holding two conflicting goals, values, beliefs, thoughts or feelings. We observed that interdisciplinary design teams too have cognitive dissonance. We also observed that analogies play an important role in helping induce shifts in the perspectives of teammates, align their mental models, and thereby resolve the cognitive dissonance in interdisciplinary design teams. We discuss some implications of our observations for developing case-based systems for collaborative interdisciplinary design.