Design Intent Research Articles

Learner experience and motivational beliefs for a VR Lab in advanced undergraduate biology

ABSTRACT Recently, interest in understanding the prospects of virtual environments, specifically virtual reality laboratories (VR Lab) – those that involve a first-person practica experience via a desktop computer or head-mounted display – in science education has increased. Seemingly ingrained in the process of implementing a VR Lab is a supposition of interest, intrinsic motivation, and confidence on the part of participants. These attributes influence the participant’s ability to start and complete the task and support sensemaking and meaningful learning. Thus, this study used expectancy-value theory with the intent of learning experience design to assess the relationship between task value beliefs and those for usability of a VR Lab. Beliefs were also compared to those for physical laboratories, where only a higher cost for the VR Lab was found. Increased cost beliefs suggest that participants perceived the VR Lab as requiring more from them, a negative consequence, which would decrease their potential for seeing it as a viable learning alternative. This finding suggests that a student’s level of content knowledge may influence thier VR Lab experience. Cost belief was significantly related to utility value, giving credence to the theoretical model where cost is a value component. The VR Lab was determined to be marginally usable, but usability was not related to any motivational beliefs.

Spatial Visual Imagery (SVI)-Based Electroencephalograph Discrimination for Natural CAD Manipulation.

With the increasing demand for natural interactions, people have realized that an intuitive Computer-Aided Design (CAD) interaction mode can reduce the complexity of CAD operation and improve the design experience. Although interaction modes like gaze and gesture are compatible with some complex CAD manipulations, they still require people to express their design intentions physically. The brain contains design intentions implicitly and controls the corresponding body parts that execute the task. Therefore, building an end-to-end channel between the brain and computer as an auxiliary mode for CAD manipulation will allow people to send design intentions mentally and make their interaction more intuitive. This work focuses on the 1-D translation scene and studies a spatial visual imagery (SVI) paradigm to provide theoretical support for building an electroencephalograph (EEG)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) for CAD manipulation. Based on the analysis of three spatial EEG features related to SVI (e.g., common spatial patterns, cross-correlation, and coherence), a multi-feature fusion-based discrimination model was built for SVI. The average accuracy of the intent discrimination of 10 subjects was 86%, and the highest accuracy was 93%. The method proposed was verified to be feasible for discriminating the intentions of CAD object translation with good classification performance. This work further proves the potential of BCI in natural CAD manipulation.

Redefining online biology education: a study on interactive branched video utilisation and student learning experiences.

This study evaluated the use of interactive, branched videos compared with traditional passive linear delivery for enhancing student engagement and learning in online courses. Undergraduate biology students were provided with either branched decision-based or linear videos on cell biology and protein purification as self-guided or consolidation activities. While the interactive branched videos did not improve learning gains, thematic analysis revealed that students found them more enjoyable and preferable for revision. However, most students felt linear passive videos were more logically structured for core content delivery. In a revised format, with clearer scaffolding, the interactive branched videos were perceived as significantly more engaging and useful when utilised for a problem-solving activity. Students welcomed the autonomy of directing their learning path but desired support to avoid missing critical information. Overall, thoughtfully designed branched videos can increase student motivation, but their utility depends on context. Our findings indicate the importance of balancing interactivity, clear organisation and purpose when incorporating these innovative formats into online learning. Branched videos show promise for increasing engagement but require intentional instructional design tailored to learning objectives.

Reinvigorating the process of contractor selection in adaptive reuse projects: a novel decision-making and evaluation paradigm

Adaptive reuse projects reconfigure and revitalize existing buildings to enact an alternative purpose, diverging from the original design intent. The study introduces a novel decision-making framework that adopts the Ordinary Priority Approach (OPA) based on the integrated Relative Performance Index (RPI) for selecting and appraising contractors in adaptive reuse projects. Current methodologies lack criteria and assessment approaches tailored to the prototypical challenges of adaptive reuse projects, compelling special knowledge, skills, structural design considerations, sustainable methods, and prudent resource conservation. Accordingly, this research aims to 1) Identify and evaluate primary Contractor Selection Criteria (CSc) and their sub-criteria influencing contractor choice for adaptive reuse; 2) Rank sub-CSc using the Relative Importance Index (RII); 3) Assign weights to sub-CSc via the OPA, and 4) Examine the contractors’ performance using the RPI method. By offering this framework, this paper enhances and empowers decision-making processes to opt for contractors with the requisite expertise and competencies for successful adaptive reuse projects, filling a crucial knowledge gap. Six contractors were selected to assess the feasibility and validate the proposed framework. Among the chosen contractors, numbers 2, 4, and 5 exhibited significant performance concerning the top-ranked sub-CSc, registering RPI values of 1, 0.88, and 0.86, respectively.

Designing for possibility in public space: affordance, assemblage, and ANT

The design of urban public space is inherently problematic because the range of its possible uses and meanings is broad and unpredictable. This paper engages this problematic through the lens of Gibson’s theory of ‘affordances’—the ways the material world affords for human desires. We first explore some conceptual and methodological problems of the theory of affordances and its application in understanding and designing public space. These dimensions of affordance theory are then reconceived using the relational thinking of assemblage and actor-network theory (ANT). A key contribution of the paper is an expanded typology of affordances which includes improvised and serendipitous affordances that extend beyond the intentions of designers and users. This opens new ways of thinking about the design of urban public space as a space of possibility where outcomes are open, multiple, and unpredictable. The paper suggests how urban spaces can be shaped to better support rich cultural diversity and social inclusion.

The Study of Copyright Infringement Liability of Generative Artificial Intelligence

As AI continues to produce content at an unprecedented rate, it is essential to establish a robust legal framework to protect the rights of creators and appropriately assign liability in cases of copyright infringement. Generative AI technology has the characteristics of high data demand, strong human-computer interaction, weak interpretability, and weak stability. The main civil subjects in generative AI services are generative AI service providers and users. In the pre-training stage, if generative AI uses copyrighted works without authorization, it should be recognized as copyright infringement, and the relevant infringement liability should be borne by generative AI service providers. In the content generation stage, the high similarity between AI-generated content and prior works can be attributed to various factors, including flaws in the generative model, intentional design choices, and user input and guidance. Both the generative AI service provider and the user bear direct tort liability for the infringement. However, the question of whether generative AI service providers also bear indirect tort liability should be explored, considering their role and similarities to traditional ISPs. Generative AI service providers should fulfill their obligations, take appropriate actions to prevent infringement, and report any illegal activities to the relevant authorities.

The measurand in ISO GPS verification

A clear definition of the measurand is an essential precondition for measuring. When verifying conformity to ISO GPS tolerances (verification), the measurand is often unclear, particularly for geometrical tolerances. The tolerance zone is a portion of space whereas the measurand is a scalar quantity, and many such quantities may be derived from the same portion of space. We propose a unified derivation of the measurand in ISO GPS verification matching the designer's intent. Different types of tolerances are considered, from the easiest to the least obvious as to the derivation of the measurand.

Overheating and Air Velocities in Modern Office Buildings During Heating Season

Proper design and operation of buildings are expected to result in optimal thermal comfort and energy performance at the same time. If occupants are not satisfied with thermal conditions, corrective actions by building managers and maintenance staff may lead to elevated room temperatures with evident energy penalties. Because of complicated technical systems and control logic, it is worth studying how well the design intent has been realised in new office buildings. In this study, thermal comfort was analysed by measurements of draught, room, and supply air temperature as well as with occupant questionnaire surveys in five modern office buildings. Both short‐ and long‐term measurements were conducted to demonstrate problems in the operation and to find potential solutions for improvement. The results revealed an issue of excessive overheating during the heating season despite generally low air velocities. Radiant ceiling panels had the lowest velocities in both summer and winter, while buildings with active chilled beams showed the potential to meet Category II air velocity and temperature requirements. The building with thermally activated building systems experienced the most overheating during the heating season. Occupants were satisfied with the heating season temperatures of 23°C–25°C that can be attributed to lighter clothing (0.7 clo) instead of the standard 1.0 clo. Ventilation supply air and indoor temperature analyses indicate that elevated setpoints have been used to compensate for draught, resulting in overheating. As a measure of improvement to avoid overheating, we propose control curves for room temperature based on the outdoor running mean temperature and for supply air temperature based on the extract air temperature.

Materiality of architecture expressed through onomatopoeic words in text description of buildings

AbstractText descriptions of buildings using onomatopoeic words are a form of communication frequently used by Japanese architects to express their design intent. The onomatopoeic word describes a building vividly and sensually as if it has life and expresses connotative architectural meanings imbued through building posture and gestures, as depicted by the architect. This paper investigates the materiality of architecture through a text analysis of onomatopoeic expressions used to describe architectural works in the Japanese architecture magazine Shinkenchiku (新建築), identifies 24 aspects of architectural materiality reflected in the onomatopoeia used by architects, and typifies their views of architecture as a physical object.

How to raise consumer awareness of the environmental impact of vehicle attributes? A big data analysis

The introduction of the Euro 7 emission standard is expected to significantly change the typology of the European passenger car. This study analyzes the environmental impact resulting from future trends in fleet composition and proposes an innovative vehicle classification system focused on raising consumer awareness of the importance of their choices with regard to key attributes such as body type, engine power and vehicle weight. A sensitivity analysis of the fleet's greenhouse gas emissions to deviations in their composition is carried out, considering the preferences expressed by the consumers in 2022 and the vehicle's specifications reported by the automotive industry on European digital platforms embodying Industry 4.0 principles. The findings show that internal combustion fleet emissions are expected to rise 0.30% per 1% increase in engine power and 0.44% to 0.69% per 1% increase in weight, according to the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). The plug-in electric vehicle (PHEV) segment is the fastest growing in terms of market share. This trend will continue in the future, as this is the segment best suited to comply with the emissions targets imposed on manufacturers. Another relevant conclusion is that the environmental impact of PHEV vehicles is potentially very negative if the drivers' charging habits do not reflect the manufacturer's design intention. Thus, the development of consumer environmental awareness tools is urgent. This is the study's main motivation: to develop a tool in the scope of the Industry 4.0 while promoting the emergent concept of Industry 5.0, sustainability based and human-centered.

Effect of Convergence Plant Selection of Wildflower Mixtures in China on the Plant Invasion

The rapid development of urbanization and urban land-use intensification have substantially reduced biodiversity and ecosystem services. Wildflower mixtures can improve regional biodiversity and habitat heterogeneity by establishing flower-rich habitats and providing multiple ecosystem services, which were considered one of the most favorable landscape ecological restoration technologies approaches. How to design wildflower mixtures to achieve optimal eco-efficiency is currently unclear. In China, wildflower mixture is one of landscape architecture’s most popular methods for establishing herbaceous vegetation. Currently, there is a notable lack of systematic research regarding species selection, and concerns have been raised about the design approach that introduces convergent species, which may potentially become invasive. This research integrated a wildflower mixture design database currently published in China and discovered community composition and construction methods. Based on this, we compared the species composition of wildflower mixtures in China and assessed the potential invasive species. Additionally, we attempted to explore the distribution over time and space, their potential invasion risk, and the main factors influencing species selection through modeling approaches. The results highlighted that species selection of mixture converged with different spatiotemporal attributes and design intentions, despite designed wildflower mixtures in China having gradually increased in recent years. A large number of species from North America and Europe have been causing an increase in potential invasion annually. Furthermore, the research confirmed that the convergence contributes to the homogenization of urban landscape vegetation communities, which leads to biological invasion from the design level, and revealed the possibility that ineffective ecological restoration techniques may cause adverse environmental impacts.

The state of Electrical Leak Location: New technologies and improved methodologies

The introduction of installed geomembranes revolutionized containment system effectiveness for the protection of groundwater quality and water resources. After over six decades of installing geomembranes and evaluating their performance, it has become clear that simply specifying the use of a geomembrane is not enough. Even the addition of Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) is often not enough. In order to ensure that an installed geomembrane will perform in accordance with its design intent, it must be tested for leaks before operation and sometimes even during operation. Several decades after the introduction of geomembranes, Electrical Leak Location (ELL) methods were developed in order to locate leaks in them once installed. The methods have undergone many stages of evolution since their inception and continue to be improved today. This paper details where the technologies began and the current state of the practice as well as the currently available state of the art. Newly developed technologies from across the globe are presented in order to showcase cutting edge capabilities. The spectrum of methodologies used by various practitioners is also presented and detailed. This paper will assist designers and facility owners to choose the best ELL solution in order to ensure containment facility performance, which is critical to the sustainability of the modern world.

Delta4-based Dosimetric Error Detection in Volumetric-modulated Arc Therapy: Clinical Significance and Implications.

Volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is an efficient method of administering intensity-modulated radiotherapy beams. The Delta4 device was employed to examine patient data. The utility of the Delta4 device in identifying errors for patient-specific quality assurance of VMAT plans was studied in this research. Intentional errors were purposely created in the collimator rotation, gantry rotation, multileaf collimator (MLC) position displacement, and increase in the number of monitor units (MU). The results show that when the characteristics of the treatment plans were changed, the gamma passing rate (GPR) decreased. The largest percentage of erroneous detection was seen in the increasing number of MU, with a GPR ranging from 41 to 92. Gamma analysis was used to compare the dose distributions of the original and intentional error designs using the 2%/2 mm criteria. The percentage of dose errors (DEs) in the dose-volume histogram (DVH) was also analyzed, and the statistical association was assessed using logistic regression. A modest association (Pearson's R-values: 0.12-0.67) was seen between the DE and GPR in all intentional plans. The findings indicated a moderate association between DVH and GPR. The data reveal that Delta4 is effective in detecting mistakes in treatment regimens for head-and-neck cancer as well as lung cancer. The study results also imply that Delta4 can detect errors in VMAT plans, depending on the details of the defects and the treatment plans employed.

Under the concept of Craftsman spirit, the ideological and political teaching reform of the course “Mechanical drawing practice”

The Practical Course of mechanical drawing is the first engineering course for undergraduates. It is an effective carrier for the transformation of learning method, the expansion of thinking mode, the Enlightenment of engineering consciousness, the cultivation of scientific style of work and the establishment of practical spirit. It is a professional basic course supported by engineering application and practice, and its main characteristic is strong practicality. How to transfer the theoretical knowledge into the ability to draw and look at mechanical drawings and express the design intention freely is the main task of drawing course teaching. In this paper, teachers design teaching methods, ideological and political point into a reasonable teaching content. Teachers in addition to teaching theoretical knowledge, but also the spirit of craftsmanship, scientific rigor, hard-working and other spirit imperceptibly infiltrated into the teaching. This not only improves students’ professional quality and professional identity, but also impels students’ professional ethics and quality to a higher level. To achieve the goal of educating people in the invisible.

Color changing bioadhesive barrier for peripherally inserted central catheters.

Bacteria migration at catheter insertion sites presents a serious complication (bacteraemia) with high mortality rates. One strategy to mediate bacteraemia is a physical barrier at the skin-catheter interface. Herein a colorimetric biosensor adhesive (CathoGlu) is designed and evaluated for both colorimetric detection of bacterial infection and application as a bacteria barrier. The design intent combines viscous, hydrophobic bioadhesive with an organic pH indicator (bromothymol blue). Visual observation can then distinguish healthy skin at pH = ∼5 from an infected catheter insertion site at pH = ∼8. The liquid-to-biorubber transition of CathoGlu formulation occurs via a brief exposure to UVA penlight, providing an elastic barrier to the skin flora. Leachates from CathoGlu demonstrate no genotoxic and skin sensitization effect, assessed by OECD-recommended in vitro and in chemico assays. The CathoGlu formulation was found non-inferior against clinically approved 2-octyl-cyanoacrylate (Dermabond™), and adhesive tape (Micropore™) within an in vivo porcine model. CathoGlu skin adhesive provides new opportunities to prevent sepsis in challenging clinical situations.

An Introduction to Radical Biocracy: A relational, autonomous approach to decision-making towards emergent and symbiotic design

Abstract Any system health work must look at decision-making because decisions propagate throughout a system, shaping system dynamics. Usually, human decision-making is conducted from an individualist, objectivist perspective. What happens when we use an approach based on the radical relationality of Radical Participatory Design and Relational Design? This is the fourth paper in a series of papers which introduced Radical Participatory Design in the first two papers and Relational Design in the third paper. In this fourth paper, we explore the decision-making dynamics in Radical Participatory Design and Relational Design projects. We use the term political ecology to speak about the power dynamics within any ecological system – a geographical population, a community, an ecosystem, and so forth. We analyze the political ecologies of individualist decision-making models. Then we explore how to embody a relational ontology within decision-filled human ecosystems and how a relational way of being changes decision-making. Referring to biology, we discuss ingredients for relational decision-making – relationality, emergent design principles, and autonomy. Those ingredients can lead to emergent and symbiotic design. Emergent design refers to design that emerges from consistently following a few basic principles. Symbiotic design occurs over time when deeply, relationally embedded entities retain autonomy and indirectly evolve to create a design that would not have occurred through an intentional design process. We then introduce Radical Biocracy as a type of decision-making model where decisions are not deliberated by groups or team members but emerge from the relationally autonomous choices and actions of individuals.

One Size Does Not Fit All: The Intentional Design of Multiple Pathways in Courses Through Differentiation

One Size Does Not Fit All: The Intentional Design of Multiple Pathways in Courses Through Differentiation

Non-Participant Observations in Experience-Based Codesign: An example using a Case Study Research approach to explore Emergency Department Care

Previous reviews of experience-based codesign (EBCD) projects have shown non-participant observations (NPOs) are omitted or unreported in the majority of studies, despite academics’ insistence of their value. We undertook Stage 1 of an EBCD project using a Case Study Research approach to organise the inquiry. NPOs were used as the first object (frame of analysis) of the case subject, exploring and understanding the experience of users and providers of ED care. 162 hours of NPOs were conducted by six research team members across three hospital Emergency Departments (EDs), representing a local nested case. The four principles of EBCD were used to guide the inquiry, providing rich understanding and description of the context, and valuable insights into critical issues. Summarised NPO narratives allowed the research team to familiarise themselves with the different physical environments, workflows, and processes, as well as think more deeply about work and interactions. Conducted within complex healthcare settings, this example demonstrates the value of observing Work-As-Done and has advanced knowledge of institutional logic that will be critical in considering realistic and sustainable change initiatives. Commitment to intentional design and well-reported research methods for exploring and understanding lived experience can satisfy academic audiences of the study integrity and provide comprehensive information for those undertaking accelerated EBCD.

AWE AT NATURAL BEAUTY AS A RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE

In this paper, we discuss an abductive argument for the existence of God from the experience of awe at natural beauty. If God’s creative work is a viable explanation for why we experience awe at natural beauty, and there is no satisfactory naturalistic explanation for the origins of such experiences, then we have defeasible evidence that God exists. To evaluate the argument’s tenability, we assess the merits of the two main theocentric frameworks that can be marshaled to answer the question of why human beings experience awe at natural beauty: (1) taking the experience of natural beauty as resulting from God’s design intentions and (2) conceiving experiences of natural beauty as religious experiences in themselves. We argue that the presence of phenomenological content the fine-grainedness of which exceeds our descriptive and conceptual capacities is better accounted for by the latter hypothesis: experiencing natural beauty amounts to experiencing divine attributes. We conclude that the argument’s theological premise is tenable and, having previously argued for the empirical premise (Porcher & De Luca-Noronha, 2021), we conclude that awe at natural beauty is best explained by the existence of God.
 Keywords: Awe. Natural Beauty. Religious Experience. Divine Beauty. God.

The process for designing and constructing the Komazawa Olympic Park control tower

ABSTRACT By analysing the design process for both the control tower plan proposed by architect Masachika Murata that went unselected and the control tower plan by architect Yoshinobu Ashihara, which was selected, this study aims to clarify the main points regarding the design of memorial towers for international events, of which the Olympics is a representative example. This study analyses the architects’ design intentions through a careful reading of primary materials, including sketches of and reports on several architects’ commemorative towers. Regarding the structure of this study, section 2.2 reflects upon the plans for the venues for the 11th and 12th Olympic Games and presents the role that the memorial tower was expected to fulfil. In section 2.3, the basic design for the Komazawa Olympic Park Central Plaza and sketch of the control tower by Murata are analysed, and the positioning of the control tower is reviewed. In section 2.4, a text in which Ashihara references the control tower is reviewed and a contrastive comparison is drawn between Murata’s plans for the control tower – to which a water supply function was added – and Ashihara’s plans for the control tower. As a result of this study, there are three ways to design towers for international events. The first is to base the design on precedent; the second is to make free use of contemporary cutting-edge techniques; and the third is to highlight the host country’s design characteristics within the building’s facade. Based on their respective points of view, both Murata and Ashihara engaged in the challenge of designing an Olympic memorial tower.