Product Conceptual Design Research Articles

Analysis and Creation of the Lingnan Cultural Identity Handbook for Product Design

The primary languages used in this region are Cantonese, Hokkienese, and Hakka Dialec, each with distinct dialects and local vocabulary, reflecting the local lifestyle and culture. This study had three main objectives: 1) To Scope on important characteristic of Lingnan identity, 2) To create Identity of Lingnan to products and 3) To complete the design Handbook and product design. The study involved a sample group consisting of experts in Lingnan cultural identity, product designers, and entrepreneurs, and the overall research population included 400 individuals interested in these products. Based on insights from the Handbook for Designing Cultural Products, the study developed the Lingnan cultural identity Handbook for Product Design (e-book). The study utilized an experimental research design and employed interviews and a satisfaction questionnaire as research instruments. This study synthesized, analyzed, and translated the collected data into Lingnan symbols, then compiled descriptive interpretations. The statistical methods used. The research findings revealed prominent elements of Lingnan cultural identity, including Chen Clan Temple, Wo'er House, Manchuria Window, Dragon Boat, Suixi Lion Dance, and Guangdong Opera. The region's geography and history deeply ingrain these cultural elements, showcasing the adaptability and wisdom of the local population. The product design concept focused on the creative process, emphasizing the development of products that meet market demands while considering utility, beauty, and value for product users. The evaluation of the Handbook indicated a high level of overall satisfaction (x̄=3.53). Among the three forms of cultural products, the first had the highest level of overall satisfaction (x̄=4.06), followed by the second with a high level of overall satisfaction (x̄=3.83), and the last with a high level of overall satisfaction (x̄=3.73).

Computers as co-creative assistants. A comparative study on the use of text-to-image AI models for computer aided conceptual design

This preliminary research presents a comparative study between Text-to-Image AI models and Shape Grammars, one of the main generative approaches to Computer Aided Conceptual Design. The goal is to determine to which extent AI models can reproduce or complement the performance of grammar algorithms as creative support tools for shape exploration in conceptual product design. Workflows, advantages and limitations are identified through a comprehensive practical comparison example. The results show many similarities regarding generative capabilities and highlight several advantages of Text-to-Image AI models, including an easier way of capturing product grammars and a wider and more immediate range of further applications. In contrast, Shape Grammars approach proved more solid in aspects related to exploration workflows and cognitive stimulation. These results encourage the research on new ways to address the interaction between designers and AI generative models, combining the AI potential with well-established generative strategies.

A systematic problem analysis network for product conceptual design

Problem analysis is a starting point of product development. The effective problem analysis can narrow the scope of potential problems and improve design efficiency. Although different methods have been proposed for the design problem analysis, the existing tools of the problem analysis are not systematic and effective. This paper presents a product design problem analysis and solution method based on problem networks. The proposed method conducts the problem decomposition, derivation and solving by considering the problem generation, exploratory and hypotheticals. Computer-aided analysis tools are integrated to improve reproducibility of the analysis solution and reduce the workload of designers. The method is applied in developing a new type of the charging gun cable with a granted patent. Feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are proved.

A knowledge graph-aided decision guidance method for product conceptual design

In the fast-paced world of product design, businesses seek a competitive edge by swiftly addressing user requirements and developing precise solutions. Depending on diverse knowledge, conceptual design makes enterprises invest significantly in knowledge management. Following the philosophy of decision-based design, a knowledge graph-aided decision guidance method is proposed to streamline and enhance knowledge utilisation in product conceptual design. Firstly, the decision-making process in product conceptual design is modelled using the Concept-Decision-Knowledge (CDK) model, yielding the meta-model of CDK (mCDK). A data-augmented BERT-BiLSTM-CRF model is adopted to extract information from diverse data sources, forming a CDK knowledge graph (CDK-KG). A decision case for employing problem-solving knowledge configuration is generated to resolve specific design decision problems when new requirements arise. Validation of the method is demonstrated through a case study on the launch vehicle conceptual design of the first and second-stage separation system. The results indicate that the proposed method can automatically extract information from data resources to construct a knowledge graph. Furthermore, it can provide decision cases for design requirements through knowledge configuration, supporting decision-making.

‘Rhetoric’ in the design process: The role of prop-based virtual reality storytelling in user-centred product conceptual design

This paper explores how prop-based virtual reality storytelling (VR&P-ST) can enhance user-centred product conceptual design (UCPCD) by the perspective of ‘computing with things’. The study introduces the concept of ‘rhetoric’ and the framework of ‘epistemic objects’ to explore the value of VR&P-ST. The study provides VR&P-ST experience for designers through VR passive haptics and proposes ten hypotheses. Through data analysis, nine hypotheses were accepted, and one hypothesis was rejected. This study provides a new solution in the field of empathic methods of UCPCD. Additionally, this study verifies that VR&P-ST can improve the fidelity and historical perception of conceptual design objects and neutralize ambiguity as the ‘rhetoric’. These three characteristics make VR&P-ST have a positive impact on the designer’s engagement, which in turn improves the designer’s evaluation and experience of the design process to a certain extent, but it still has limitations.

Detailed Design of Special-Shaped Steel Structures Based on DfMA: The BIM-FEM Model Conversion Method

(1) This paper, based on the characteristics of complex steel structures as well as difficult points in the process of their detailed design, introduces the product design concept of DfMA (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly) from the manufacturing industry and studies the detailed design method of BIM-FEM model conversion. The BIM software Revit (2020) is used as the basis for the BIM detailed design of the project, which achieves the purpose of rapid modeling and provides a detailed design model basis for finite element analysis. (2) Utilizing the Revit API and C# for secondary development as the technical means, this approach involves converting the geometric entity model described by CSG-Brep into an APDL stream. This creates an interface with the finite element analysis software ANSYS (12.0) to implement the detailed design of BIM-FEM model conversion, optimizing the algorithm for converting complex analysis models that require high precision for special-shaped steel structures. (3) This research addresses issues such as the disconnection between the design, manufacturing, and construction of special-shaped steel structures, providing support for design decisions. Moreover, it enhances the detailed design method by improving the standardization of special-shaped components under the condition of design diversity. (4) These studies provide sustainability for engineering design, manufacturing, and construction projects, enabling the maximization of benefits and product lifecycle management (PLM) through these projects. (5) Finally, a case study analysis was conducted on the Wuhan City New Generation Weather Radar Construction Project, designed by the Central South Architectural Design Institute (CSADI), to verify the detailed design of BIM-FEM model conversion. This proved the scientific validity, practicality, and necessity of this research.

B-FMEA-TRIZ model for scheme decision in conceptual product design: A study on upper-limb hemiplegia rehabilitation exoskeleton

Upper-limb rehabilitation devices are essential in restoring and improving the motor function of hemiplegic patients. However, developing a product design that meets the needs of users is challenging. Current design tools and methods suffer from limitations such as a single model, poor synergy between integrated models, and subjective bias in analysing user needs and translating them into product attributes. To address these issues, this study proposes a new structural design decision-making model based on Behaviour Analysis (B), Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA), and Teoriya Resheniya Izobreatatelskikh Zadatch (TRIZ theory). The model was developed and applied to design an upper-limb rehabilitation exoskeleton for hemiplegia. In this paper, an empirical investigation was conducted in several rehabilitation hospitals in Xuzhou City and used user journey mapping to identify potential failure points in the behaviour process. Then, the fault models were ranked according to the Fuzzy Risk Priority Number (FRPN) calculated by FMEA and used TRIZ theory to determine principles for resolving contradictions and generating creative design solutions for the product. By integrating B, FMEA, and TRIZ theory, it eliminated subjective bias in product design, improved the design decision-making process, and provided new methods and ideas for designing assistive rehabilitation devices and similar products. The framework of the proposed approach can be used in other contexts to develop effective and precise product designs that meet the needs of users.

A Case Study in Natural Fibre Material (Luffa Sponge) Development Using E2-Material-Driven Design

To unleash the emotional potential of natural fibre materials in sustainable development and utilisation, this paper presents a material-driven design method with emotional and ecological indicators (E2-MDD). The method offers product-level solutions for the sustainable development of natural materials. The method involves several steps, such as screening the main material quality, capturing the user emotion vision, deconstructing the E2 vision pattern, and deducting the product design concept. The method was tested on luffa sponge samples, seen as one kind of traditional fibre resource, which resulted in four differentiated schemes, which were evaluated using the E2-MDD ring radar column score chart. The study identified three key emotional qualities for natural fibre materials: associativity, uniqueness, and biophilicity. The results show that product concepts closer to the natural material’s original form scored higher, while the inclusion of non-natural materials had a negative impact on the evaluations. This study also found that E2-MDD could strengthen the emotional and ecological connection between people and products, further indicating that material and design can establish a link between environmental friendliness and emotional experience. Lastly, the paper suggests future development areas for the E2-MDD method, including focusing on users, ecology, and business.

UPCYCLING FOR REPURPOSING WASTE INTO CREATIVE PRODUCTS

Upcycling is the process of repurposing non-used materials or products to make them more valuable or usable, with increased quality and value. However, truly little research has been conducted on the design process and/or creative ideation of upcycling in order to produce higher-quality and more valuable products. This study presents the four stages of the design process, consisting of selecting the waste products, emerging conceptions, generating ideas, and rendering a series of creative ideas. SCAMPER (substitute, combine, adjust, modify, put to other uses, eliminate, reverse), one of the practical and effective techniques to create various creative ideas, was applied in the stages of emerging conceptions and generating ideas. With the upcycling concept of waste product design utilizing SCAMPER, the results demonstrated that waste soft drink cans could be converted into five creative products: a desk watch, a picture frame, a spring paper clip, a pencil holder, and a lamp. The five products featured the upcycling of waste soft drink cans, removing the need to recycle or send them to landfills at that point in their lifecycle. Consideration was given to the design process’ compatibility with creative concept generation and design. The study indicated that upcycling should be viewed as an essential component of waste management and repurposing in order to provide an intelligent answer to escalating product waste problems.

Research on Product Conceptual Design Scheme Configurations from a Designer–User Conflict Perspective

In the context of rapid product iteration, design conflicts arise from discrepancies in designers’ understanding of user needs, influenced by subjective preferences, behavioural stances, and other factors. This paper proposes a product conceptual design approach based on the design conflict perspective. First, user comments and design documents are collected. Natural language processing (NLP) methods, including cleaning, filtering, lexical segmentation, feature clustering, and sentiment analysis, are employed to identify design themes. The intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs) and term frequency–inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) algorithms are then utilized to obtain evaluation matrices for the products from both users and designers. Subsequently, design conflicts between users and designers are calculated, and an optimal configuration for product conceptual design is determined through regression analysis and planning methods. Finally, the proposed method is validated using a mobile phone as a product example, and suggestions for product improvement are presented. The results indicate that considering design conflicts as a factor in product design and synthesizing designer and user product concepts enhance the accuracy and reliability of product conceptual design generation. The findings of this study offer new insights into the conceptual design configuration for product iteration.

Topology-Accelerated and Selective Cascade Depolymerization of Architecturally Complex Polyesters.

Despite considerable recent advances already made in developing chemically circular polymers (CPs), the current framework predominantly focuses on CPs with linear-chain structures of different monomer types. As polymer properties are determined by not only composition but also topology, manipulating the topology of the single-monomer-based CP systems from linear-chain structures to architecturally complex polymers could potentially modulate the resulting polymer properties without changing the chemical composition, thereby advancing the concept of monomaterial product design. To that end, here, we introduce a chemically circular hyperbranched polyester (HBPE), synthesized by a mixed chain-growth and step-growth polymerization of a rationally designed bicyclic lactone with a pendent hydroxyl group (BiLOH). This HBPE exhibits full chemical recyclability despite its architectural complexity, showing quantitative selectivity for regeneration of BiLOH, via a unique cascade depolymerization mechanism. Moreover, distinct differences in materials properties and performance arising from topological variations between HBPE, hb-PBiLOH, and its linear analogue, l-PBiLOH, have been revealed where generally the branched structure led to more favorable interchain interactions, and topology-amplified optical activity has also been observed for chiral (1S, 4S, 5S)-hb-PBiLOH. More intriguingly, depolymerization of l-PBiLOH proceeds through an unexpected, initial topological transformation to the HBPE polymer, followed by the faster cascade depolymerization pathway adopted by hb-PBiLOH. Overall, these results demonstrate that CP design can go beyond typical linear polymers, and rationally redesigned, architecturally complex polymers for their unique properties may synergistically impart advantages in topology-augmented depolymerization acceleration and selectivity for exclusive monomer regeneration.

A patent text-based product conceptual design decision-making approach considering the fusion of incomplete evaluation semantic and scheme beliefs

Conceptual design evaluation is a significant challenge in product development to select suitable conceptual schemes (CS). Relying on decision makers' (DMs) personal experience for design information may result in incomplete and ambiguous evaluation semantics, creating an incomplete decision matrix. Previous approaches use attributes based on candidate schemes to complete the missing information, but neglect the mining of associated design information from external resources such as patents, reducing the beliefs objectivity after missing semantic completion. Besides, non-compensatory nature between DMs’ interactivity and criteria have not been well considered. To fill these issues, a patent text-based CS decision approach considering the fusion of incomplete semantics and scheme beliefs is proposed. First, using the beneficial effects text from patents as historical design data, constructing general evaluation criteria using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic model, and introducing the Apriori model to extract strong association rules between criteria to complete the incomplete semantics. Second, a fuzzy measure model for DMs is constructed based on intuitionistic fuzzy cross-entropy and Shapley value method, supporting the allocation of DMs' interactive weights. Then, the fuzzy Dempster-Shafer evidence theory is used to transform the multi-criteria decision model into a belief fusion problem of CS that avoids aggregating the evaluation semantics of non-compensatory criteria and outputting the optimal CS with interval credibility. A practical case study of an in-pipe inspection robot will be employed to validate the proposed approach, sensitivity analysis and comparison results confirmed that the complement data have the reliability to avoid continuous investment in the evaluation process.

Arts and Crafts Management Model of Baan Huai Ta Community, Utttaradit Province

Purpose: The objectives of the present research on the arts and crafts management model of Baan Huai Ta community, Uttaradit province were to analyze the community arts and crafts management model; develop the community arts and crafts management model; and evaluate the community arts and crafts management model of Baan Huai Ta, Uttaradit Province. Theoretical Framework: This study employs the concept of local wisdom and product development and design. Design/Methodology/Approach: The procedures involved building a network, acquiring knowledge, developing a community arts and crafts management model, developing community arts and crafts, evaluating the community arts and crafts management model. A qualitative research was employed consisting of observation, in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, and participatory action. Findings: The analysis of community arts and crafts management model suggested the area-based potential of Baan Huai Ta with arts and crafts abilities including weaving, wickerwork, and wood carving. Her Majesty Queen Sirikit had graciously supported people in the community to receive career development trainings in arts and crafts intended to offer extra jobs for generating more income. Their products were delivered for distribution to the Bureau of the Royal Household and the Arts and Crafts Promotion Foundation. Research Practical and Social Implication: Evaluation results of community arts and crafts works were as follow: increased value at a highest level; design concept at a highest level; selection of raw materials at a highest level; production process at a highest level; quality and beauty at a highest level; increased value added at a very high level; creating identity at a very high level; and generating value added at a very high level. The arts and crafts management model of Baan Huai Ta community, Uttaradit province comprised 4 components namely: analysis of community context; analysis of community management//network building; development of arts and crafts; and evaluation of arts and crafts management model. Originality/Value: The development of community arts and crafts management models focused on the designs with applied local wisdom to provide community products. The design concept is based on the link of science and knowledge in coordination with applied local materials to develop community products with an aim to bring about value added, self-reliance, as well as group forming. This had led to the development of products consisting of 12 pieces of fabric art and craft products, 2 pieces of carving art and craft products, and 8 pieces of wickerwork arts and crafts products, totaling 22 products.

Development of a novel machine learning-based approach for brain function assessment and integrated software solution

Industry 5.0 emphasizes human-centered solutions. However, bridging the gap between human conditions and engineering systems remains a challenge in this era. Promoting the development of cybernetics applications in the field of rehabilitation is imperative. In the healthcare sector, the evaluation of rehabilitation products’ ergonomics and the dynamic assessment of the human body are of utmost importance. Amid the burgeoning prominence of data-driven product design concepts, ergonomics methods have emerged as indispensable evaluative tools. Nevertheless, the integration of data from multiple sources remains a contemporary challenge; one must extract meaningful information from diverse data sets while enhancing data analysis and fusion techniques. In this study, we collect multimodal neurobiological signals using electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to devise a robust multimodal rehabilitation data fusion method based on graph convolutional network (GCN), particularly focusing on the motor imagery (MI) task. To achieve a more holistic evaluation, we incorporate granger causality (GC) and brain region adjacency matrix as supplementary features, integrating electrophysiological and hemodynamic perspectives. This integration aims to enhance information complementarity and foster a comprehensive understanding of the neural processes involved in MI. Our results demonstrate the superiority of the multimodal fusion method: it achieves higher average accuracy and improved stability, as indicated by the reduced standard deviation of accuracy. This enhanced performance suggests its potential regarding broader research applications. Building upon our successful findings, we establish an intelligent algorithmic rehabilitation platform based on multimodal neural data. This platform not only holds significant clinical value, facilitating precision and personalized medicine, but also propels the advancement of medical practices, paving the way for a more tailored and effective approach to patient care. Our research makes progresses in the areas of rehabilitation modeling, equipment design, intelligence, and interdisciplinary collaboration through the in-depth study and extension of cybernetic principles and techniques.

A constraint-driven conceptual design approach for product based on function-behavior-structure design process

Conceptual design is an important part of new product development (NPD) since it relies on performance, quality, and cost restrictions from users during the design process, and it has a direct impact on downstream design activities. However, in the function-behavior-structure (FBS) design model, constraints are only frequently used in the scheme evaluation or detailed optimization stage, ignoring the influence of various constraints in the function solution process, which leads to repeated revisions of design schemes. In addition, the expression of constraints in NPD is focused on the abstraction of qualitative requirements, and there is no regular classification and definition. Aiming at the above defects, a constraint-driven product conceptual design model based on FBS model is proposed. First, a constraint-driven FBS conceptual design model is proposed as an important theoretical basis for subsequent design. Second, FBS mapping is driven by constraints, and function-behavior association matrix under functional constraints and behavior-structure association matrix under behavioral constraints are established to obtain feasible principle solutions. Third, the principle solutions are combined according to the compatibility constraints, and the constraint evaluation criteria are integrated with the technology for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) to obtain the optimal conceptual scheme (CS). To aid the design process, a prototype solving CSs based on design constraints system is developed to assist designers to manage constraints and improve evaluation efficiency. Finally, a case study of the high-speed blender scheme is used to validate the proposed approach and the optimal CS driving by constraint is solved, then the compared results and prototype system showed the applicability of the proposed approach.

QFD-based hybrid neutrosophic MCDM approach with Six Sigma evaluation for sustainable product design in Industry 4.0

PurposeThe concept of sustainable product design (SPD) is gaining significant attention in recent research. However, due to inherent uncertainties associated with new product development and incorporation of multiple qualitative and quantitative criteria; SPD is a complex and challenging task. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel approach by integrating quality function deployment (QFD), multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) technique and Six Sigma evaluation for facilitating SPD in the context of Industry 4.0.Design/methodology/approachThe customer requirements are evaluated through the neutrosophic-decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory-analytic network process (DEMATEL-ANP)-based approach followed by utilizing QFD matrix to estimate the weights of the engineering characteristics (EC). The Six Sigma method is then employed to evaluate the alternatives’ design based on the ECs’ values.FindingsThe effectiveness of the suggested approach is illustrated through an example. The result indicates that utilization of the neutrosophic MCDM technique with integration of Six Sigma methodology provides a simple, effective and computationally inexpensive method for SPD.Practical implicationsThe proposed approach is helpful in upstream evaluation of the product design with limited experimental/numerical data, maintaining a strong competitive position in the market and enhancing customer satisfaction.Originality/valueThis work provides a novel approach to objectively quantify performance of SPD under the paradigm of Industry 4.0 using the integration of QFD-based hybrid MCDM with Six Sigma method.

Knowledge Graph Analysis of Science and Technology and Children's Education

In this study, 1700 articles related to children and science and technology education published on CNKI) were taken as the research objects, and the visualization software CiteSpace was used to draw the keyword knowledge map, so as to explore the hot research issues of children and science and technology education in China. The results show that the research of children and science and technology education in China basically focuses on the core issues of child education, and the main topics include the relationship between child education and science education, science museum and science and technology, early childhood education and child education. This study will focus on the following aspects, The relationship between science and technology and children's education policies: to explore the government's policy measures in promoting the integration of science and technology and children's education, and the impact of these policies on educational practice. Development and application of science and technology education products: analyze the design concept and functional characteristics of science and technology education products, as well as their application effect in educational practice. Development and innovation of science and technology education enterprises: to study the business model, market competition strategy of science and technology education enterprises, and their exploration in technology innovation and education practice. The knowledge graph analysis of this study will provide a visual tool for understanding the relationship between technology and child education, and will help to provide a useful reference for educational researchers, policy makers and practitioners.

A Z-number and MABAC method based on reliability analysis and evaluation of product design concept

Modular design is a significant method for complicated product development. In the context of modular design, involving users in concept assessment boosts a product's appeal but also introduces decision uncertainty and unreliability. As a solution, this paper proposed a hybrid method by integrating expert consensus modeling, attribute weighting, Z-number, and the Multi-Attribute Border Approximation Area Comparison (MABAC) method. Initially, a consensus model is established using consistency theory to determine expert weights, and attribute priorities are determined through the entropy weighting method. Subsequently, the Z-number-based MABAC method ranks the alternatives, determining the optimal solution among them. Using an automated outdoor cleaning vehicle as an example, the proposed method is compared to other techniques. The sensitivity analysis and the comparisons show that the proposed method improves the reliability and objective of the decision-making process.

Product Design Concept and Its Evolution Between "Past, Present and Future"

Product Design Concept and Its Evolution Between "Past, Present and Future"

A Comparative Study of Printed Fabric Product Lines and Design Concepts of Texstyle Ghana Limited

Purpose: This research investigates TexStyle Ghana Limited’s printed fabric design concepts over three decades, focusing on cultural heritage and consumer preferences, aiming to understand trends and patterns.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: This research employs qualitative data analysis as the primary approach to investigate design concepts. The research method adopted for this study is a single-case method. The data is collected from TexStyle Ghana Limited (TSGL), a prominent textile printing company in Ghana, with a specific focus on their product lines and historical design trends. The data is analysed based on patterns, and themes within textual or visual data.
 Findings: TexStyle Ghana Limited (TSGL) offers four unique brands of printed fabrics catering to diverse consumer segments. Their design concepts reflect cultural motifs, traditional heritage, and bold African textile utilisation. TSGL's product lines, such as the Adepa Dumas and NuStyle collections, target specific demographics with distinctive design elements.
 Research Limitation/Implications: The study's limitation includes focusing on TSGL, although there are other printing companies in Ghana. However, the findings or implications could apply to other textile printing companies.
 Practical Implication: The research highlights the significance of considering customer preferences and cultural heritage in textile design for Ghanaian companies. These include traditional motifs, vibrant colours, and cultural symbolism that enhances competitiveness and customer satisfaction.
 Social Implication: Preserving Ghanaian cultural heritage through printed fabrics promotes representation, inclusivity, and global promotion of African art and fashion while catering to diverse consumer segments.
 Originality/Value: This industry-specific lens allows for targeted insights into the unique challenges and innovations in textile printing, contributing to a more granular understanding of Ghana's fashion landscape.