Ontology Specification for Design Communication

As a first manifestation of a recently launched international research project, this position paper outlines an approach to use ontologies as a means to tame the high degree of complexity involved in most collaborative (architectural) design projects which derives from the involvement of their numerous participants. Traditionally, these various involvements have tended to be structured hierarchically and/or temporarily according to general flow diagrams outlining collaborative structures towards project completion. The advent of (potentially synchronous) digital communication worldwide has broadened the scope for creative collaboration and added to the, often less than subtle, language challenges across discipline boundaries a possible added ingredient of great physical distance. This paper explores the need for, opportunities and potential challenges in research to develop and test generic ontology-based support systems for design. On the following pages we will lay down the foundation for this extensive project by defining the term ontology, setting out our theoretical position towards this subject matter, briefly covering examples of alternative online (design) collaboration support tools and describing what we currently believe might be a possible solution to common design communication problems and the nature of what could be an appropriate product to support it.