Interdisciplinary Graduate Design Programs: Results and Recommendations From a NSF Workshop

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy W. Simpson ◽  
Samuel T. Hunter ◽  
Cari Bryant-Arnold ◽  
Matthew Parkinson ◽  
Russell R. Barton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Research And Teaching ◽  
Interdisciplinary Design ◽  
National Competitiveness ◽  
Complex Design ◽  
Design Activities ◽  
The Common

Improving the creativity and innovativeness of U.S. graduate students is a mandate for national competitiveness and social well-being. Despite this imperative, many are uncertain about how to best prepare students for tackling the complex design problems of the future, some that we know about and others yet to be uncovered. With this in mind, we convened a two-day workshop at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Arlington, VA to discuss the challenges, successes, and future directions for interdisciplinary graduate design programs that have recently emerged or are being established to address this critical need. Not including NSF personnel, 42 people from academia and industry gathered to learn about nine existing interdisciplinary design programs. Three panels were also held to discuss: (1) overcoming interdisciplinary differences in research and teaching, (2) industry perspectives on interdisciplinary design programs, and (3) future directions and program developments. A number of common themes emerged from the workshop, including the disciplinary characteristics of interdisciplinary design, the varying perspectives on the design process, pedagogical approaches toward teaching interdisciplinary design, structuring interdisciplinary design degrees, and sustainability of an interdisciplinary design discipline. Based on the dialogue at the workshop and our analysis of the common themes, we offer ten recommendations divided into three areas: (1) advance interdisciplinary design activities, (2) enhance interdisciplinary design programs, and (3) support interdisciplinary design research.

scholarly journals Establishing Analogy Categories for Bio-Inspired Design

Designs ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacquelyn Nagel ◽  
Linda Schmidt ◽  
Werner Born
Keyword(s):  
Analogical Reasoning ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Design Pedagogy ◽  
Biological Inspiration ◽  
Research And Teaching ◽  
Difficult Time ◽  
Behavior Learning ◽  
The Common

Biological systems have evolved over billions of years and cope with changing conditions through the adaptation of morphology, physiology, or behavior. Learning from these adaptations can inspire engineering innovation. Several bio-inspired design tools and methods prescribe the use of analogies, but lack details for the identification and application of promising analogies. Further, inexperienced designers tend to have a more difficult time recognizing or creating analogies from biological systems. This paper reviews biomimicry literature to establish analogy categories as a tool for knowledge transfer between biology and engineering to aid bio-inspired design that addresses the common issues. Two studies were performed with the analogy categories. A study of commercialized products verifies the set of categories, while a controlled design study demonstrates the utility of the categories. The results of both studies offer valuable information and insights into the complexity of analogical reasoning and transfer, as well as what leads to biological inspiration versus imitation. The influence on bio-inspired design pedagogy is also discussed. The breadth of the analogy categories is sufficient to capture the knowledge transferred from biology to engineering for bio-inspired design. The analogy categories are a design method independent tool and are applicable for professional product design, research, and teaching purposes.

Understand Complex Design Problems Using Systems Thinking

2011 ◽  
pp. 379-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Huang ◽  
Eric E. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Product Design ◽  
Systems Theory ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Current System ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Evolving Systems ◽  
Complex Design ◽  
Research Problems ◽  
Dynamics Models ◽  
New System

This chapter provides a brief overview of systems theory and suggests that product designers could use systems theory and systems dynamics models to improve our understanding of complex Product Design research problems, to anticipate how and where changes in these dynamically evolving systems might occur and how they might interact with the current system to produce a new system with new behaviors, and to identify leverage points within the system where potential policy or design process changes might be introduced to produce effective solutions to these problems with minimum policy resistance. By investigating the current and future trends of the application of systems theory in Product Design research, this chapter invites multidisciplinary discussions of these topics.

Understanding Designers Behavior in Parameter Design Activities

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Turki Alelyani ◽  
Ye Yang ◽  
Paul T. Grogan
Keyword(s):  
Parameter Design ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Design Experiment ◽  
Problem Complexity ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Complex Design ◽  
Design Activities ◽  
Successful Design ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Individual

Successful design processes and tools are vital for the success of any design project, particularly when developing aerospace, automotive and other complex systems that can entail imposing design constraints to meet desired objectives. These constraints, coupled with a lack of uniform strategies to define, acquire and process the interaction between designers and tools, add new challenges to the design process. So appropriate processes and tools that allow problem designers to assist in framing and resolving complex design problems can extend the power of the individual working memory, according to previous research. This current research investigates the behavior of engineers working on a parameter design experiment. In the study, 30 subjects solved parameter design problems with both coupled and uncoupled variables. Results showed a relationship among designers’ actions and other features such as gender, recorded error, problem complexity, and performance. These findings can guide future research into engineering design and can inform ideas for better strategies for various aspects of parameter designing.

The connective role of improvisation in dealing with uncertainty during invention and design processes

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Satu MIETTINEN ◽  
Melanie SARANTOU
Keyword(s):  
Performing Arts ◽  
Participatory Design ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Design Processes ◽  
Art And Design ◽  
Design Activities

This paper explores the role of improvisation in design thinking for product design processes and design research methods. Improvisation is often at the core of practice-based and participatory design, permitting flexibility. The role of improvisation in the performing arts has received considerable academic attention, however its role in design processes has been neglected, because improvisation is often viewed as the second-best solution to design problems. This paper presents a framework for improvisation by surveying existing scholarship. Additionally, field study data collected between 2011 and 2016, primarily in Namibia and Australia, will be used to illustrate how improvisation is applied by practitioners during their art and design activities. The connective function of improvisation allows designers to negotiate, take risks, unmake and remake formations. This function enables the fluidity of design, to move from one moment in a process to the next, allowing designers to negotiate ways of work during uncertainty.

Identification of Subproblems in Complex Design Problems: A Study of Facility Design

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azrah Azhar ◽  
Erica L. Gralla ◽  
Connor Tobias ◽  
Jeffrey W. Herrmann
Keyword(s):  
Standard Method ◽  
Association Rule ◽  
Rule Learning ◽  
Problem Decomposition ◽  
Design Teams ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Manufacturing Facility ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Complex Design ◽  
Design Activities

Many design problems are too difficult to solve all at once; therefore, design teams often decompose these problems into more manageable subproblems. While there has been much interest in engineering design teams, no standard method has been developed to understand how teams solve design problems. This paper describes a method for analyzing a team’s design activities and identifying the subproblems that they considered. This method uses both qualitative and quantitative techniques; in particular, it uses association rule learning to group variables into subproblems. We used the method on data from ten teams who redesigned a manufacturing facility. This approach provides researchers with a clear structure for using observational data to identify the problem decomposition patterns of human designers.

Gender, Dispositions, Peer Relations, and Identity

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Campbell Leaper
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Peer Relations ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Peer Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Physical Characteristics ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Gender Development ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Same Gender

This chapter considers possible ways that peer relations, group identity, and dispositional preferences are interrelated and contribute to children’s gender development. The author advances an integrative theoretical model of gender development that bridges complementary theories by linking sex-related dispositions and physical characteristics to the process of assimilation within same-gender peer groups. Research suggests some (but not all) children have strong behavioral dispositions (temperaments and intense interests) and physical characteristics that are either highly compatible or highly contradictory with culturally valued in-group prototypes (e.g., boys strongly inclined toward physical activities vs. dress-up play, respectively). These children may either become same-gender role models or disidentify with the gender in-group, respectively. In contrast, children without strong dispositions may be most amenable to developing a broad repertoire of interests when provided opportunities and encouragement. Implications of this model for the development and well-being of children as well as future directions for research are discussed.

Measuring Collateral Consequences Among Individuals Registered for a Sexual Offense: Development of the Sexual Offender Collateral Consequences Measure

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107906322110197
Author(s):  
Emma Hamilton ◽  
Delida Sanchez ◽  
Matthew L. Ferrara
Keyword(s):  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Sexual Offender ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sexual Offense ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Collateral Consequences ◽  
Validity Indicators ◽  
Validated Instrument ◽  
Adequate Reliability

Collateral consequences faced by individuals convicted of a sexual offense have been widely referenced in the literature. There is yet to be a systematic examination of collateral consequences affecting individuals, however, due to measurement inconsistencies and the absence of a psychometrically validated instrument. The current study developed and validated a measure of collateral consequences faced by individuals convicted of a sexual offense. Specifically, this study investigated (a) the underlying factor structure of collateral consequences commonly endorsed by individuals convicted of a sexual offense through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) procedures and (b) reliability and validity indicators of the aforementioned scale. Participants were 218 individuals convicted of and registered for a sexual offense in the state of Texas. Study measures included a pool of 66 collateral consequences items in addition to psychological self-report instruments addressing hopelessness, shame, social well-being, and discrimination. EFA results revealed a two-dimensional construct representing collateral consequences affecting areas of social and psychological well-being. The current measure demonstrated adequate reliability and validity. Limitations and future directions of findings are addressed.

scholarly journals Foreword and Introduction to This Issue on Contemporary Safety Topics in Animal Research

ILAR Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-126
Author(s):  
John Bradfield ◽  
Esmeralda Meyer ◽  
John N Norton
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Animal Research ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
The Status ◽  
Safety Considerations ◽  
Animal Care ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Institutions with animal care and use programs are obligated to provide for the health and well-being of the animals, but are equally obligated to provide for safety of individuals associated with the program. The topics in this issue of the ILAR Journal, in association with those within the complimentary issue of the Journal of Applied Biosafety, provide a variety of contemporary occupational health and safety considerations in today’s animal research programs. Each article addresses key or emerging occupational health and safety topics in institutional animal care and use programs, where the status of the topic, contemporary challenges, and future directions are provided.

In the Moment: Fostering Mindfulness and Reducing Stressors in the Healthcare Workplace

2021 ◽  
pp. 193758672098824
Author(s):  
Shabboo Valipoor ◽  
Sheila J. Bosch
Keyword(s):  
Design Research ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Job Dissatisfaction ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Environmental Interventions ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
The Moment

While healthcare design research has primarily focused on patient outcomes, there is a growing recognition that environmental interventions could do more by promoting the overall quality of care, and this requires expanding the focus to the health and well-being of those who deliver care to patients. Healthcare professionals are under high levels of stress, leading to burnout, job dissatisfaction, and poor patient care. Among other tools, mindfulness is recommended as a way of decreasing stress and helping workers function at higher levels. This article aims to identify potential environmental strategies for reducing work-related stressors and facilitating mindfulness in healthcare settings. By examining existing evidence on workplace mindfulness and stress-reducing design strategies, we highlight the power of the physical environment in not only alleviating stressful conditions but intentionally encouraging a mindful perspective. Strategies like minimizing distractions or avoiding overstimulation in the healthcare environment can be more effective if implemented along with the provision of designated spaces for mindfulness-based programs. Future research may explore optimal methods and hospital workers’ preferences for environments that support mindfulness and stress management. The long-term goal of all these efforts is to enhance healthcare professionals’ well-being, reignite their professional enthusiasm, and help them be resilient in times of stress.

scholarly journals Will mesenchymal stem cells be future directions for treating radiation-induced skin injury?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuoqun Fang ◽  
Penghong Chen ◽  
Shijie Tang ◽  
Aizhen Chen ◽  
Chaoyu Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽  
Malignant Tumors ◽  
Skin Injury ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Cytokines And Chemokines ◽  
Radiation Induced ◽  
The Common ◽  
Apoptotic Activity ◽  
Different Sources

AbstractRadiation-induced skin injury (RISI) is one of the common serious side effects of radiotherapy (RT) for patients with malignant tumors. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are applied to RISI repair in some clinical cases series except some traditional options. Though direct replacement of damaged cells may be achieved through differentiation capacity of MSCs, more recent data indicate that various cytokines and chemokines secreted by MSCs are involved in synergetic therapy of RISI by anti-inflammatory, immunomodulation, antioxidant, revascularization, and anti-apoptotic activity. In this paper, we not only discussed different sources of MSCs on the treatment of RISI both in preclinical studies and clinical trials, but also summarized the applications and mechanisms of MSCs in other related regenerative fields.

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