CIFECENTER FOR INTEGRATED FACILITY ENGINEERING Multi-Attribute Interaction Design: An Integrated Conceptual Design Process for Modeling Interactions and Maximizing Value

Integrated design synthesizes combinations of options to take advantage of interactions that maximize multidisciplinary value. As resources become further constrained, options more numerous and goals increasingly complex, it is more critical and more challenging for design teams to find these integrated solutions. Theory proposes the integration of transformation, flow, and value (TFV) views as necessary to support such integrated design. This paper develops requirements for these views that encourage flexible yet systematic integrated conceptual design processes. It then illustrates how these requirements are only partially satisfied by current design management systems, provides motivating case studies, and introduces a new framework, Multi-Attribute Interaction Design (MAID) to fill this void by systematically guiding design teams to explicitly consider the potential interactions of options and the resulting value of design solutions. The paper defines the terms relevant to design space exploration and interactions. It then defines the MAID method and specifies metrics and a process for its validation. Initial laboratory charettes carry out first validations, illustrating evidence for how MAID can help integrate TFV views and lead teams of students to discover and record more interactions in a relatively short amount of time. The paper then lists future work required to further develop and validate MAID.