Design Artifacts Research Articles

A design science approach to manage spare parts distribution: combining design logic and Goldratt’s thinking processes

PurposeDesign Science (DS) is a relatively new paradigm for addressing complex real-world problems through the design and evaluation of artifacts. Its constituent methodologies are currently being discussed and established in numerous related research fields, such as information systems and management (Hevner et al., 2004). However, a DS methodology that describes the “how to” is largely lacking, not only in the field of OM but in general. The Theory of Constraints (TOC) and its underlying thinking processes (TP) have produced several novel artifacts for addressing ill-structured real-world operations problems (Dettmer, 1997; Goldratt, 1994), but they have not been analyzed from a DS research standpoint. The purpose of this research is to demonstrate how TOC’s thinking process methodology can be used for conducting exploratory DS research in Operations and Supply Chain Management (OSCM).Design/methodology/approachA case study of spare parts replenishment illustrates the use of TOC’s thinking processes in DS to structure an initially unstructured problem context and to facilitate the design of a novel solution.FindingsTOC’s thinking processes are an effective methodology for problem-solving DS research, enabling the development of novel solutions in initially unstructured and wicked problem situations. Combined with structured CIMO design logic TOC’s thinking process offers a systematic method for exploring wicked problems, designing novel solutions, and demonstrating theoretical contributions.Research limitations/implicationsThe implication for research is that TOC’s thinking process methodology can provide important elements of the lacking “how to” methodology for DS research, not only for the field of OM but in general for the field of management.Practical implicationsThe practical outcome of the research is a novel design for dynamic buffer-based replenishment that extends beyond organizational boundaries.Originality/valueThis work shows how the thinking processes can be used in DS research to develop rigorous design propositions for ill-structured problems.

HCI-modelling for improving the clinical usability of digital health technologies

IntroductionDigital Health Technologies (DHTs) have been shown to have variable usability as measured by efficiency, effectiveness and user satisfaction despite large-scale government projects to regulate and standardise user interface (UI) design. We hypothesised that Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) modelling could improve the methodology for DHT design and regulation, and support the creation of future evidence-based UI standards and guidelines for DHTs. MethodologyUsing a Design Science Research (DSR) framework, we developed novel UI components that adhered to existing standards and guidelines (combining the NHS Common User Interface (CUI) standard and the NHS Design System). We firstly evaluated the Patient Banner UI component for compliance with the two guidelines and then used HCI-modelling to evaluate the “Add New Patient” workflow to measure time to task completion and cognitive load. ResultsCombining the two guidelines to produce new UI elements is technically feasible for the Patient Banner and the Patient Name Input components. There are some inconsistencies between the NHS Design System and the NHS CUI when implementing the Patient Banner. HCI-modelling successfully quantified challenges adhering to the NHS CUI and the NHS Design system for the “Add New Patient” workflow. DiscussionWe successfully developed new design artefacts combing two major design guidelines for DHTs. By quantifying usability issues using HCI-modelling, we have demonstrated the feasibility of a methodology that combines HCI-modelling into a human-centred design (HCD) process could enable the development of standardised UI elements for DHTs that is more scientifically robust than HCD alone. ConclusionCombining HCI-modelling and Human-Centred Design could improve scientific progress towards developing safer and more user-friendly DHTs.

Stress concentrations and design for additive manufacturing: a design artefact approach to investigation

AbstractThe accelerated rate of product development and design complexities offered by Additive Manufacturing (AM) has allowed for innovation in the space industry. However, the surface roughness of parts poses a challenge, as it impacts performance and is tied to design choices. Design tools for traditional manufacturing methods fall short in AM contexts, prompting the need for alternative design processes. This work proposes an experimental approach to design for AM investigation using design artefacts to explore a process-structure-property-performance relationship.

Providing a knowledge-based design catalog as an approach to support the development of design for additive manufacturing skills

AbstractProficiency in design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) requires training and a lot of trial and error. To support the development of DfAM skills, we redesigned 47 design artifacts from case studies and derived tacit knowledge from successful and unsuccessful redesigns. All knowledge about these artifacts was then collected in a design catalog. In a workshop with a total of 48 graduates and students, 45 participants deemed the design catalog supportive. After evaluating their designs, we concluded that the use of a knowledge-based design catalog can develop and improve individual DfAM skills.

Assessing text-image patent datasets with text-based metrics for engineering design applications

AbstractImages provide concise representations of design artifacts and emerge as the primary mode of communication among innovators, engineers, and designers. The advanced of Artificial Intelligence tools which integrates image and textual information can significantly support the Engineering Design process. In this paper we create 5 different datasets combining both images and text of patents and we develop a set of text-based metrics to assess the quality of text for multimodal applications. Finally, we discuss the challenges arising in the development of multimodal patent datasets.

Explainable artificial intelligence in transport Logistics: Risk analysis for road accidents

Automobile traffic accidents represent a significant threat to global public safety, resulting in numerous injuries and fatalities annually. This paper introduces a comprehensive, explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) artifact design, integrating accident data for utilization by diverse stakeholders and decision-makers. It proposes responsible, explanatory, and interpretable models with a systems-level taxonomy categorizing aspects of driver-related behaviors associated with varying injury severity levels, thereby contributing theoretically to explainable analytics. In the initial phase, we employed various advanced techniques such as data missing at random (MAR) with Bayesian dynamic conditional imputation for addressing missing records, synthetic minority oversampling technique for data imbalance issues, and categorical boosting (CatBoost) combined with SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) for determining and analyzing the importance and dependence of risk factors on injury severity. Additionally, exploratory feature analysis was conducted to uncover hidden spatiotemporal elements influencing traffic accidents and injury severity levels. We developed several predictive models in the second phase, including eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), random forest (RF), deep neural networks (DNN), and fine-tuned parameters. Using the SHAP approach, we employed model-agnostic interpretation techniques to separate explanations from models. In the final phase, we provided an analysis and summary of the system-level taxonomy across feature categories. This involved classifying crash data into high-level causal factors using aggregate SHAP scores, illustrating how each risk factor contributes to different injury severity levels.

Sustaining Community-Based Research in Computing: Lessons from Two Tech Capacity Building Initiatives for Local Businesses

The field of human-computer interaction (HCI) has traditionally focused on the design of novel technology artifacts. However, ensuring considerations for artifact maintenance and repair is crucial to sustainably supporting the populations they aim to serve over the long term. Drawing on two multi-year programs for tech capacity building in post-industrial U.S. cities, this article presents a comparative analysis to investigate the challenges and strategies for sustained community-based research in computing. In particular, our work detailed three considerations for academic-community partnerships. First, long-term partnerships prioritized transferring trust across academic and community personnel and continually set expectations that responded to evolving community initiatives (i.e., relational sustainability). Second, partnerships used academic support as a way to kickstart community initiatives, and flexibly reframed interventions to stay aligned with evolving community goals (i.e., economic sustainability). Third, partnerships trained personnel to provide technical support alongside interventions and prioritized advice that resisted short-term trends (i.e., technical sustainability). We provide concrete examples of how our two academic-community partnerships carried out such suggestions-such details go unreported in scholarly articles yet are essential for sustainability considerations. We discuss ongoing challenges, such as rethinking when longevity should and should not be the end goal.

Proposed Extended Design Process for Sustainable Development and Innovation

The perspective that innovation plays a crucial role in promoting sustainability is generally acknowledged by researchers, professionals in many industries, and government officials. The urgency of addressing sustainable development necessitates prompt action and comprehensive adjustments from governments, industries, and society. The field of design has seen significant transformations throughout the last five decades. In response to the multifaceted challenges of contemporary times, there has been a partial expansion of limits. Various areas, such as social design, inclusive design, codesign, and sustainable design, have evolved as a direct reaction to the shortcomings of the existing consumption and production system. Within this framework, the design of artifacts has been influenced by social, environmental, and cultural trends. However, it is noteworthy that the actual design process has undergone little alterations. In contemporary design processes, there is an increasing recognition of the importance of incorporating criteria beyond economic considerations, particularly when pursuing social and environmental objectives. However, it is noteworthy that the process employed to achieve these objectives remains consistent with the stages and logic traditionally employed in approaches driven solely by economic goals. In this paper, we provide a novel approach to the design process, which encompasses the accountability for the outcomes generated by the artifacts developed, extending beyond the mere supply of solutions.

Elementary Students’ Use of Mechanistic Reasoning to Explain Community-Connected Engineering Design Solutions

Mechanistic reasoning about an artifact or system involves thinking about its underlying entities and the properties, activities, and cause-effect relationships of those entities. Previous studies of children’s mechanistic reasoning about engineering solutions have mostly focused on specific mechanical systems such as gear trains. Yet there is growing interest in more contextualized, community-connected engineering design experiences for elementary students. Important questions remain about how the specific features of community contexts influence student opportunities for engineering design practice and reasoning. In this study, we explore whether comparisons in students’ mechanistic reasoning can be made across a range of five different community design contexts. For this qualitative descriptive study, we focus on interview data collected after each of five community-connected engineering-enriched science curriculum units: accessible playground design (3rd grade, N = 8, district A, schools 1 and 2), displaced animal relocation design (3rd grade, N = 10, district A, school 1), migration stopover site design (4th grade, N = 4, district A, school 2), retaining wall design (4th grade, N = 13, district B, school 1), and water filter design (5th grade, N = 9 students, district A, school 3). The findings showed that all students named entities and described entity factors for the design solutions for all five units. For the playground, displaced animals, and stopover sites units, some students described the design artifacts without explicitly expressing connections between entity factors and/or the way factors linked up to the design performance. We argue that particular features of the design tasks influenced students’ approaches to explaining their design solutions. Therefore, we can claim that comparisons can be made across different community-connected engineering design contexts in terms of children’s mechanistic reasoning.

No end in sight: The Climate Domesday Book as an exemplar of discursive and activist design

Purpose/audience: Designed artefacts intended for users and markets serve primarily functional and pragmatic uses, yet there are other forms of designed artefacts whose purpose for being is to present concepts, inspire thought and provoke action. Their existence is not utilitarian but one of speculation. In this article, we draw attention to how materials, technologies and ideas are brought together in speculative forms of editorial design that confront the existential crisis of our times – the climate emergency. In doing so, we aim to catalyse future work on hybrid print-digital books and design for activism. Methodology/approach: Through a critical reflection of the process of designing, developing and publicly exhibiting an interactive book-of-the-future centred on a contemporary environmental issue, we interrogate the design of multimodal, polyvocal artefacts and their place in public and academic discourse. We briefly explain the origins and motivations of the project to create The Climate Domesday Book, analyse the design and production process and critically review both the physical book design and the digital texts within (films, poetry, art, performances and writing). Findings: Manifest as a printed-digital speculative artefact, The Climate Domesday Book is a diegetic prototype of the book-of-the-future, a knowledge-building artefact through graphesis and a discursive design that stimulates thought and action. Temporally and conceptually, it shifts its mode of existence from an ambiguous project towards a generative design and – eventually – a design for activism. The collaborative design of discursive artefacts can play a part in shaping public understanding and discourse on critical issues. Such artefacts facilitate new social connections, provoke individual action and serve as catalysts for social and technological innovation. Implications for practice, society or research: Functionalist or utilitarian forms of design – products, processes, services and built environments – are prevalent in everyday life, yet these do little to advance our thinking about possible, desirable or alternative futures. By contrast, multimodal, polyvocal activist designs afford designers and users/readers/publics the opportunity to interrogate contemporary (and persistent) issues of human concern in imaginative ways and provoke positive action in response. Originality/value: Our ‘book-of-the-future’ draws attention to the possibility of hybrid print-digital publications as lean-back/stand-back and lean-forward/step-forward discursive and activist devices in either public or private spaces, as alternatives to agonistic street demonstration or direct action and as exemplars of aesthetic, activist energy humanities.

Design Semiotics and the Economy of Surplus-Enjoyment

Abstract This article extends the remit of Saussurean semiotics from design criticism to design theory. It does this by invoking concepts from the work of psychoanalytic theorist Jacques Lacan. It begins by exploring the role of the signifier in Lacan's theory of language and connects it to concepts of subjectivity, desire, and surplus-enjoyment. This leads to the hypothesis that the essence of design is the production of surplus-enjoyment—a hypothesis at odds with the notion that design exists to meet human needs. The article concludes by showing how semiotic theory by way of Lacan can be used to explore the cultural, subjective, and social dimensions of the design artifact in new and productive ways. The work is intended to be accessible even to readers who are unfamiliar with Lacan's work.

Software Estimation in the Design Stage with Statistical Models and Machine Learning: An Empirical Study

Accurate estimation of software effort and time in the software development process is a key activity to achieve the necessary product quality. However, underestimation or overestimation of effort has become a key challenge for software development. One of the main problems is the estimation with metrics from late stages, because the product must already be finished to make estimates. In this paper, the use of statistical models and machine learning approaches for software estimation are used in early stages such as software design, and a data set is presented with metric values of design artifacts with 37 software projects. As results, models for the estimation of development time and effort are proposed and validated through leave-one-out cross-validation. Further, machine learning techniques were employed in order to compare software projects estimations. Through the statistical tests, it was proven that the errors were not statistically different with the regression models for effort estimation. However, with Random Forest the best statistical results were obtained for estimating development time.

The Alligator Lake Throwing Dart, Yukon, Canada

On August 25th, 2018, the Yukon Ice Patch Research Group recovered a 6,000-year-old segmented throwing dart from site JcUu-11 (Hare et al. 2004) located in the traditional territories of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation and the Kwanlin Dün First Nation, Yukon Canada. The discovery was the result of a dramatic retreat of an ice patch over a period of 23 days. This discovery is the first entirely complete atlatl throwing dart retrieved from an archaeological site in arctic and subarctic North America. Beyond its remarkably state of preservation, the artifact offers insights on material use and artifact design that may have significant implications for archaeological interpretations of First Nations’ hunting traditions.

A proposal for a framework process to guide the digital transformation in the R&D center of a Brazilian chemical industry

Despite the known advantages of digital transformation, many chemical industries have failed to advance digital maturity. Recent studies have shown that the main difficulties lie in the implementation process of digital technologies. In fact, digital projects are started within companies, but most of them do not go beyond the pilot phase. So, how should the digital transformation process be conducted to mitigate implementation difficulties? This article investigates the main barriers faced by the Research and Development (R&D) center of a Brazilian large chemical company and proposes a solution to improve the likelihood of digital transformation implementation success. Therefore, a prescriptive research was performed with a qualitive approach based on Design Science Research resulting in the artifact (a framework) design. The proposed solution is a framework which is composed by three phases, I-PREPARATION, II-ELABORATION OF DIGITAL PLAN, and III-EXECUTION OF DIGITAL PLAN, aiming to support the identification, prioritization, and execution of digital projects inside the sector. The framework was positively evaluated by companies’ specialists , suggesting that it’s a potential solution for improving the likelihood of digital transformation implementation effectiveness.

Nonspeculative bubbles revisited

In an important contribution, Lei et al. (2001, Econometrica) argue that speculation is not the driver of bubbles in the absence of common knowledge of rationality, suggesting a focus on mistakes and confusion. We revisit Lei et al.’s (2001) design, confirming the existence of bubbles. However, we argue that, although their design removes the ability to speculate, it introduces several unintended design artifacts. We discuss four possible behavioral implications of the design that may put upward pressure on transaction prices. The first is extreme initial asymmetric endowments. Second, cash to asset ratio increases with each transaction. Third, the combination of a high cash to asset ratio and removal of cash and assets from the market with each transaction impact perceived scarcity of assets more than cash. Lastly, actual scarcity of assets is present in these markets. We argue that these factors individually or in combination lead to the observed bubbles despite prohibiting speculative behavior.

Developing a goal-driven data integration framework for effective data analytics

Data integration plays a crucial role in business intelligence, aiding decision-makers by consolidating data from heterogeneous sources to provide deep insights into business operations and performance. In the big data era, automated data integration solutions need to process high volumes of disparate data robustly and seamlessly for various analytical needs or operational actions. Existing data integration solutions exhibit limited capabilities for capturing and modeling users' needs to execute on-demand data integration. This study, underpinned by affordance theory and the goal definition principles from the Goal-Question-Metric approach, designs and instantiates a goal-driven data integration framework for data analytics. The proposed innovative design automates data integration for non-technical data users. Specifically, it demonstrates how to elicit and ontologize users' data-analytic goals and addresses semantic heterogeneity, thereby recognizing goal-relevant datasets. In a structured evaluation using the context of counter-terrorism analytics, our design artifact shows promising performance in capturing diverse and dynamic user goals for data analytics and in generating integrated data tailored to these goals. Our research establishes a theoretical framework to guide future scholars and practitioners in building smart, goal-driven data integration.

A Comprehensive Review of Affordance Theory in Enhancing Digital Health Solutions

The interplay between humans and objects is a foundational aspect of visual perception, significantly enriched by Gibson's introduction of Affordance Theory. This theory posits that human interaction with objects is predicated on the recognition of what these objects can provide or afford them. This premise has sparked a vibrant debate within the Information Systems (IS) community, leading to the emergence of two distinct interpretative schools of thought. The first school accentuates the role of user perception and the intrinsic features of IT artifacts in co-creating affordances. In contrast, the second school asserts that affordances are inherently integrated within the IT artifact's design and features.This review critically examines the divergent applications of Affordance Theory by these schools, with a particular emphasis on mHealth app studies. It proposes a comprehensive framework that synthesizes key arguments from both perspectives, aiming to offer researchers a refined tool for leveraging Affordance Theory. Furthermore, this framework seeks to aid designers in enhancing the usability and utility of IT artifacts, thereby bridging theoretical insights with practical application. Through this analysis, the paper endeavors to contribute to a nuanced understanding of Affordance Theory and its implications for digital health solutions.

Special Issue: The Role of Design Artifacts in Design

Abstract This special issue features articles that review the changing role of design artifacts in design practice, covering topics including generative AI, digital design tools, and cloud-based collaborative platforms.

Innovative Application of the Artistic Modeling of Ancient Chinese Astronomical Instruments in Modern Design: A Case Study of the Armillary Sphere

Ancient Chinese astronomical instruments, exemplifying classical Chinese traditional artefact design, represent a perfect amalgamation of ancient China's advanced scientific and technological prowess with the aesthetic philosophy underlying traditional Chinese artefact creation. Their scientific and artistic values are considerable and should not be underestimated. This research introduces these instruments' concepts, design characteristics, and innovative application cases, mainly focusing on the armillary sphere from an artistic design perspective. This research employs a mixed-methods approach, including surveys, literature reviews, and systematic analysis; the research examines the instruments' design features and cultural significance. The objective of the study is to highlight the armillary sphere's potential as a source of inspiration across various modern design domains, such as sculpture and installation, fashion accessory design and stage performance. The study concludes that reinterpreting these ancient astronomical instruments in modern design not only preserves cultural heritage but also encourages cross-border innovation. This fusion approach offers new perspectives for designers, blending traditional Chinese culture with contemporary design practice. Future research is suggested to explore the integration and wider application of ancient Chinese astronomical instruments in modern design.

An Intervention Framework for a Business Context: A systemic design case of sustainable parenthood

This study explores the application of systemic design approaches used in a complex commercial context to create positive and sustainable change. The case study was a business case on sustainable parenthood, in which the company tried to balance its ambitions for environmental sustainability with the need to survive in a highly competitive market. In close collaboration with the internal business company stakeholders, a causal-loop diagram was created. The diagram mapped relations between global relevant trends for emerging young adults within the DACH market, sustainability, and parenting as a business. Leverage points for systemic change were identified which were explored through in-depth user interviews (n=10). This process eventually identified ten systemic insights, translated into insight cards to facilitate business actions. Based on these combined approaches, the MINT framework (Mapping Interventions and Narratives for Transformation) was developed, with a strong emphasis on co-creation, iteration, translation, and communication of systemic interventions. However, while the internal business stakeholders and company representatives appreciated the bird’s eye view that systemic design gave them, they were challenged by the methods’ abstract language and translation of systemic insights into concrete action. To address this, the developed framework utilized systemic design artefacts such as a storytelling map and user-centred insight cards to facilitate a more comprehensible systemic design approach. Overall, this study provides a first attempt at creating an actionable systemic design framework that can be used in commercial settings to promote positive systemic change. Future research will require further validation.