An Internet-enabled technology to support Evolutionary Design

TL;DR

This paper presents an Internet-enabled system that supports evolutionary product design by monitoring real-time data, enabling designers to adapt to changing environments and improve product lifecycle management.

Contribution

It introduces a novel Internet-enabled technology for monitoring product usage and environment to support evolutionary design processes.

Findings

Successful pilot study on refrigerator design expectations

Effective monitoring of product functionality and environment

Framework for integrating feedback into design evolution

Abstract

This paper discusses the systematic use of product feedback information to support life-cycle design approaches and provides guidelines for developing a design at both the product and the system levels. Design activities are surveyed in the light of the product life cycle, and the design information flow is interpreted from a semiotic perspective. The natural evolution of a design is considered, the notion of design expectations is introduced, and the importance of evaluation of these expectations in dynamic environments is argued. Possible strategies for reconciliation of the expectations and environmental factors are described. An Internet-enabled technology is proposed to monitor product functionality, usage, and operational environment and supply the designer with relevant information. A pilot study of assessing design expectations of a refrigerator is outlined, and conclusions are drawn.