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Functional modelling in engineering design: a perspectival approach featuring living systems theory
Author(s) -
Cowan F. Scott,
Allen Janet K.,
Mistree Farrokh
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
systems research and behavioral science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1099-1743
pISSN - 1092-7026
DOI - 10.1002/sres.733
Subject(s) - interfacing , design for manufacturability , computer science , systems engineering , context (archaeology) , perspective (graphical) , management science , systems design , engineering design process , software engineering , engineering , artificial intelligence , mechanical engineering , paleontology , computer hardware , biology
Complex engineering systems (e.g. aeronautic vehicles and automobiles) consist of many different interfacing parts and are subject to numerous requirements and constraints regarding aspects of performance, manufacturability, economics, etc. Their design requires the collaboration between people from various disciplines—each retaining different, but necessary, perspectives of the system under design. Here, perspective is defined as a particular context that a human utilizes to create personally meaningful understanding. The key, then, to developing complex engineering systems lies in accommodating and negotiating different perspectives such that a comprehensive and highly integrated design is achieved. We offer a methodology for performing design that explicitly incorporates the multiplicity and diversity of perspective encountered when developing complex engineering systems. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.