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Many of the choices that designers and engineers make during a design process impact not only the functionality, usability, or aesthetics of a technology, but also impact the values that might be supported or undermined via the technology design. Designers can actively design for values, and this awareness has led to the development of various ‘ethics by design' approaches. One such approach is capability sensitive design (CSD). Thus far, CSD is only developed from a theoretical-ethical point of view. This article aims to bridge the theory-practice gap by entering into dialogue with various design-experts on ethics by design in general and CSD in particular. An empirical study, consisting of thematic interviews with nine design-experts, was conducted in order to explore design-experts' experiences with designing for values, what they regard as the strengths and weaknesses of CSD, and if CSD could be of practical use to their design (research) practice.

Thirty-two novel hybrid transmissions consisting of a Ravigneaux gear train and a single planetary gear train are synthesized using a creative design methodology based on graph-theory and the lever analogy method. The design process commences by identifying an existing transmission configuration which meets all of the design requirements. The chosen design is then used to synthesize all possible mechanism permutations which satisfy the design constraints. The feasible mechanisms which satisfy both the design requirements and the design constraints are converted into analogous levers. The levers which fail to provide the required operation modes of the hybrid transmission are eliminated and the remaining levers are assigned brakes and clutches in order to realize the final designs. The responsiveness of the new hybrid transmissions and the feasibility of the proposed design methodology are confirmed by analyzing the power flow and kinematics of one of the designs in all of the operation modes.

A high percentage of failures of new products is considerably associated with management issues at the initial, with a large amount of uncertainty, stage of product development. Taking into account the fact that the characteristics and functionality of the future product are determined exactly at the initial stage, the management of the process here is of decisive importance. In the digital transformation process, companies rethink the product development management process and, correspondingly, the competence model of product managers. The purpose of the paper is to identify the key competencies (qualities, personal characteristics and abilities allowing to carry out professional activity key tasks) of the digital era product managers, as well as testing the design and project approaches in developing their competencies. Getting primary information about the main professional tasks was provided through in-depth interviews with successful product managers from the following industries: internet and telecommunications, software, pharma and finance. Two typical profiles/types of product managers were identified and called «technologically-oriented» and «business-oriented». As a result of the empirical research the key universal competencies of product managers to manage innovative products development effectively have been revealed. The partial overlap with the competences of innovation entrepreneurs, identified earlier, was discovered. for the development of key competencies, the innovation training program was developed and tested. The statistical analysis results showed that project based learning in combination with design thinking, Lean Startup & Customer Development, as well as modern digital rapid prototyping technique application, provide positive dynamics in the development of revealed key competencies for beginning product managers.

Collaborative robotics and additive manufacturing are two enabling technologies of the Industry 4.0 manufacturing paradigm. Their synergic integration requires novel and effective design approaches, aiming to the development of new reconfigurable solutions for customised processes and products. This work presents an integrated approach that exploits the capabilities of Cobots to mimic the repetitive and exhausting operator’s movements as well as the competitive advantages offered by additive manufacturing to realize tailored equipment. In particular, the case study shows the development of a customised device for the manipulation of biomedical components by means of a Cobot, which is introduced in a workstation to replace manual operations. Moreover, the flexibility and the effectiveness of a Cobot can be improved thanks to customised devices for gripping and pick-and-place operations based on a specific application. During the development phase, we simulated the assembly process, and tested different options. The final configuration, with conformal circuits and suction cups, can pick, manipulate and assembly the biomedical components, and thanks to a Fused Filament Fabrication technology is additively manufactured. In conclusion, this developed prototypal solution proves the real capabilities offered by integrating Cobots and additive manufacturing for the lean automation of a biomedical workstation.

The cable-pylon anchorage zone is a typical D-region in a cable-stayed bridge, for which there has been no uniform simplified design method until now. In this paper, based on the extensive statistics of actual projects, topology optimization techniques and principle of minimum strain energy, two precise strut-and-tie models for the cable-pylon anchorage zone are proposed, which can clearly reveal the load-transmitting mechanism of the anchorage zone. Th e explicit geometric parameters of the strut-and-tie models are derived; thus, the designers can directly use these models. A simple design procedure to deploy prestressing tendons in the anchorage zone is also introduced, whose effectiveness and convenience are demonstrated by two design examples. A new design named the “one-way prestressing tendons PC cable-pylon” is also discussed regarding its application scope.

This paper proposed a design approach for piezoelectric-transformer-based power supplies. Initially, an analytical approach is used to derive the Mason equivalent circuit parameters of a PT. This is coupled with a semi-automated procedure to decide the appropriate physical dimensions of the PT. The procedure is applied to a typical low-power power supply specification, whereupon a specific transformer is design, verified using COMSOL and used as a simulated converter in SPICE. Results show that the design can be successfully implemented while maintaining efficient zero-voltage switching operation.

User Experience (UX) is characterized by its temporal dimension, dynamic nature, and variability. Although descriptive models about the temporal dimension and related aspects exist, an understanding of the design possibilities and a design approach that ensures the design of the temporal dimension promoting a positive UX and well-being are still lacking. This paper addresses this research gap and builds on Zimbardo and Boyd’s Time Perspective Theory (TPT). TPT presents five time perspectives (TPs)—Past-Negative, Past-Positive, Present-Fatalistic, Present-Hedonistic, and Future—to reveal that people have individual attitudes toward time that influence their thoughts, actions, and feelings. Studies conclude that a balance between the positive TPs (Past-Positive, Present-Hedonistic, and Future), i.e., temporal harmony, contributes to long-term well-being. We present our design framework and approach “designing for temporal harmony,” which incorporates the theory into the practice to highlight the temporal design possibilities and to offer guidance for designers. We applied the design framework and approach to a case study, developed an app concept, and evaluated it with users. The results demonstrate that it is possible to systematically develop temporal UX concepts that evoke positive anticipations, experiences, and retrospections, and that these promote a positive UX as well as contribute to users’ long-term well-being.

Peri-urban areas are generally highly dynamic and fragmented zones. This is due not only to their functional and physical diversity and fragmentation, but also because they are the focus of a wide variety of perceptions and interests. This plurality causes on-going planning difficulties, affecting planners’ ability to identify and strategically strengthen common interests for future development. In this paper we claim that spatial visioning can be supportive in bridging the gap between contested ‘perceived peri-urban realities’ by revealing shared values and devising innovative ideas that blend seemingly contradictory demands. However, we suggest that visioning processes need designers to spark imagination effectively and make visioning more productive. Designers can bring together unexpected combinations of stakeholders by redefining problems, strengthen the link between process and content, and take responsibility for integral and appealing vision products. Keywords: peri-urban area, fragmentation, visioning, spatial vision, designer, design approach

Unlike the other eurocodes where structure designing is fairly clear, there are three design approaches offered in Eurocode 7 and sets of applied partial factors. After accepting Eurocode 7, each country has to decide on two very important decisions related to the selection of appropriate design approach according to which designing of geotechnical structures is going to be performed and define adequate partial factors. Selection of appropriate design approach is based on analyses of certain geotechnical problem both with actual and proposed methods. Therefore, it should be find out which approach is the closest to hitherto calculation 'style', which compatibility of 'old' and new method will serve as a base for selecting appropriate design approach. Moreover, it will be tested with different partial factors in order to obtain approximately the same size of structural elements or construction, which similarity will suggest the value of partial factors. Analyses and verifications are performed for such purposes for retaining walls, which conclusions, presented below, lead to solution that can be used in the region.

This paper presents a novel design approach for fully reconfigurable low-voltage delta-sigma analog-digital converters for next-generation wireless applications. This approach guides us to find the power-optimal solution corresponding to the specifications of various wireless standards by exploring single-loop feedback and feedforward topologies with different filter order, number of quantizer bits, and oversampling ratios. Unlike previous multimode designs, this approach provides a better power efficiency. Based on this approach, a system-level design of a digitally programmable delta-sigma modulator for 4G radios is presented. ispartof: IEEE Transactions on circuits and systems ii-express briefs vol:55 issue:3 pages:229-233 status: published

The Eco-design approach for new product development is becoming progressively more and more important for competitive and legislative reasons, especially in advanced markets (EU USA, East Asia, etc.). Its importance is increasingly growing since the decisions made in early design stages largely affect not only the cost but also the environmental impact of a product. This paper introduces a novel approach that could be used to increase the potential capability of an Eco-design approach. This aim is achieved through a better fit between the critical environmental issues and the development of new solutions using AD. The introduced approach, first, considers a meta-product point of view that uses a customized Smart Eco-design Platform and the Axiomatic Design (AD) for the improvement of the eco-sustainability of products. Then, the approach introduces the meta-system level as the reference level for detecting the system Design Matrix and developing an uncoupled design. This goal could be achieved through the use of AD and the implementation of the environmental information as a tool to reduce the space of the available design solutions. The first axiom aims to define the Design Matrix of the Functional System in order to detect its best configuration. The purpose is to avoid an optimization without appropriate knowledge in terms of interaction among meta-product and resources. Then, the Functional Requirements definition, used in AD, could represent the ideal index for the ease of sharing information and knowledge on a wide scale among different industrial sectors. The development of the Smart Eco-design Platform could encourage the use of this approach in real product development. The sharing of the database enables obtaining information for reducing the field of design parameters that satisfy the Functional Requirements. In this way, it could be possible to develop a system of products with an overall higher level of eco-sustainability and a better use of resources through information derived from other fields and experiences. Typical goals that are reachable are, for instance, represented by a system that needs less consumption of energy and material during the whole product life cycle.

Emissions to the air and nutrient losses to the environment (ground water and soil) are inherent to the keeping of animals in high densities in animal houses and cause various problems to men and animal (environmental, health and nuisance). Traditional approaches in animal husbandry, and also the approaches to solve these problems, are often and primarily based on unidirectional technical solutions, in which control is exclusively exerted over both dead matter and living entities. As a consequence, each technical solution to a problem implies increased constraints for the animals involved or end-of-pipe solutions. A novel approach is presented to combine the nature of animals with the prevention and reduction of environmental pollution based on recursive control. This approach is based on the presence, knowledge and use of the natural behaviour of animals and their interrelation in the population. It is claimed that order in complex systems like these can be the result of animal interactions with their environment as well, without detailed human and technical intervention and surveillance. A fundamental precondition for this is a considerable degree of slack, or play, in order to give animals the latitude to adapt to changing local circumstances in the animal house. In this paper, we will outline and discuss this approach both theoretically and practically, using examples with elements that support the theory, like a straw-based group housing system for sows, an aviary housing system for laying hens, and the approach taken by a new concept for the keeping of fattening pigs (Hercules project). We end by drawing some general conclusions on the consequences of this approach for systems design and suggest a number of recommendations for design heuristics.

Current applications in buildings of structural glass elements often require design rules and formulations able to provide acceptable predictions for phenomena complex to describe, which generally depend on combination of several geometrical and mechanical aspects. The estimation of the buckling resistance of glass elements, for example, represents a topic of large interest for researchers, due to typical high slenderness ratios, limited tensile strength and brittle material behavior. In the paper, the buckling response of glass columns under impulsive orthogonal pressures (e.g. blast) and combined static compressive vertical loads (e.g. gravity loads or further service loads) is investigated. The dynamic buckling behavior of columns in out-of-plane bending is primarily analyzed. Advanced numerical nonlinear dynamic simulations are then performed on various laminated columns, by means of 3D numerical FE-models able to take into account the interaction of simultaneous loads and possible glass cracking. Analytical calculations are also carried-out by means of single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) formulations derived from structural dynamics theories, in order to properly estimate blast and second-order effects on maximum deflections and corresponding tensile stresses. Finally, based on the rather good correlation generally found between numerical and analytical calculations, a design approach is proposed for practical estimation of buckling strength of glass elements in the analyzed loading and boundary conditions.

International audience; In this paper, we focus on a new type of emerging learning games: Social Learning Games (SLG). We define SLG as games that enhance learning by offering educational contents according to a learning scenario and by supporting a community that offers condition for social learning. Leaning upon this analysis, we propose a model of SLG, which relies on five components: decision-making, contextual discussions, social capital, educational feedback and dashboard. We highlight the learning possibilities offered by this design approach, such as stimulating learners throughout decision-making process and cultivating learners' engagement in the game. This theoretical contribution has been integrated into a Social Learning Game called CIBUS dedicated to the field of entrepreneurship. We present the specific structure of the learning scenario that allows the regulation of the progress of the learners in the game, by giving freedom in the participation in the community. Finally, we explain how the design approaches we propose allow supporting three levels of learning involved in the game: individual, within the group, and within the community.

PurposeManagement practices and education are presently in a stage of reappraisal and a growing number of scholars and experts are suggesting that managers should be taught and adopt the approach and methodologies of designers. The purpose of this paper is to imagine the impact of this move and to try and foresee whether “management as design” is an inescapable evolution or just another management fad.Design/methodology/approachOnce the notion of management as design is defined, a thought experiment is proposed to the reader under the guise of a forged business case whose various implications are progressively exposed and discussed.FindingsThe adoption of a design approach holds profound transformative potential for the positioning, offer, value chain and processes of firms but it also implies a substantial re‐arranging of the relations between co‐workers, and between managers and subordinates. Beyond the initial shock that the introduction of a radically different approach inevitably entails, management as design is exposed to three perils: the reduction of design approaches and methods to a mere set of tools in the hands of self‐appointed experts; the rejection of its open‐ended and inclusive methods on account of their lengthy and time‐consuming nature; the inherently hard‐to‐manage relations between traditional managers, on the one hand, and managers as designers, on the other.Originality/valueThe article uses the power of a fictional narrative to explore and draw some of the firm‐level and individual‐level implications of the adoption of “management as design” approaches and methodologies by a hypothetical company.

Rural buildings have undergone deep changes with the historical transition from traditional agriculture to industrial society. This paper discusses these trends in Italy, focusing on major changes in agriculture, design approach, and land-use planning, referring to some regional cases and relative building typologies. The analysis of the main historical treatises on the subject of farm building design allowed us to evaluate how the evolution of the technical approach influenced the architectural quality of rural buildings. This latter was traditionally based on a close relation between aesthetic values, functionality, and simplicity, broadly acknowledged only recently, as shown by the loss of landscape integration of farm buildings constructed in the last decades. By analysing the processes of reuse of historical buildings and construction of new farm buildings, we have found out different and time-evolving ways of referring to rural heritage and identity. In some cases, they have been considered important references, even through typological evolution aimed at combining traditional values with new needs and available techniques. In other cases, old farm buildings have been considered unsuitable things of the past, or rather have inspired new constructions based on an idealized and mystified concept of rurality. Since landscape integration of rural buildings plays a crucial role in the EU concept of agriculture, the choice of architectural quality postulates to be adopted for the design of new rural buildings is a key theme. Both consistency with pre-industrial tradition and typological discontinuity must necessarily consider consciously the relationships with historical buildings, whose important values have increasingly come to the fore over the last years. Once consistency with historical farm buildings is assumed as a design postulate, contemporary interpretation of traditional typologies through modern building techniques is a very challenging and topical field of study. Various degrees of consistency with traditional typologies are possible. Therefore, this approach calls for the development of analytic and metadesign methods aimed at decomposing rural building typologies into their essential physiognomical features, allowing designers to modulate them to meet ever-changing requirements.