Briede Westermeyer, Juan Carlos

In this exploratory study a teaching experience in which conceptual design was addressed using the systemic approach by Hernandis and Briede of 2009, but covering the integration of the theoretical attributes of the product in a physical model of the design's space is described and analyzed. This strategy aims at facilitating the management and transfer of the theoretical attributes that are integrated in the design's space for the final design proposal. In the study, a perception survey was applied to students of the user-centered design workshop of the year 2013, offered by the Dept. of Art and Design Technologies of the University of Bío-Bío, in Chile. The results indicate that the construction process allowed students to connect theory with their application in the final design. The physical modeling, as didactic support, facilitated the analysis and decision-making process related to the application of the theoretical concepts already studied.

El presente artículo muestra el proceso de diseño de productos de una empresa prestadora de servicios de diseño, desde un enfoque de procesos materializado en un mapa de procesos. El estudio propone una mirada complementaria a los actuales modelos teóricos que representan el proceso de diseño, los cuáles abordan el perfil funcional de la disciplina desde una mirada autónoma, aislada de relaciones interfuncionales que apoyen su aplicación empresarial. En este sentido, el mapa de procesos diseñado representa la globalidad del accionar en el diseño de productos, a través de la incorporación de actividades creativas, comerciales y productivas, y el énfasis en la relevancia del diseño conceptual y de detalle como operaciones que impulsan las vinculaciones entre dichas actividades; para fomentar por consiguiente, una perspectiva de la acción del diseño como un conjunto de actividades, recursos y relaciones interfuncionales que instan la exploración colaborativa de conocimientos.

Conceptual design is one of the earliest stages of product development, and is responsible for defining key aspects of the final product. The systematic approach addresses this stage by using a disaggregate model of product attributes and their corresponding geometries. This ultimately serves as a starting point for exploring conceptual proposals. Research into the emergence of various sketch typologies shows that they are labeled according to aim rather than technical utility. The proposed sketch-based model is intended to serve as a comprehensive version of the systematic model for conceptual design (Hernandis & Briede, 2009). Sketch outlines are used during various stages of the model in order to enable and visually assist with cognitive processes and decision-making during the initial theoretical stages, which are abstract and poorly defined.

This paper describes the development and implementation of a visual model that allows organization of the morphological referents, starting from the conceptual proposal, for a new product design. The study of the context and its referent objects are recognized and taken into consideration within the initial stage of the design process. Much of the information gathered in this stage is often relegated and not actively considered in the conceptual development of a product. On the other hand, the freedom and lack of systematization that exists to address the formal development, starting from the conceptual proposal stage, triggers an uncertain and unclear development scene. This visual model seeks to associate morphological referents in their diverse levels with the concepts and attributes that define the conceptual proposal stage and present them in an integral diagram that furthers and expands the exploration of formal development. A 4th year design workshop in the industrial design major was implemented at the Universidad del Bío-Bío, wherein the utilization of the model within the proposal phase and its comparative impact with other traditional thematic workshops was carried out and evaluated. The application allowed for the expansion and diversification of creative development design solutions, oriented towards the innovation, in addition to serving as a map that could register the decision making in the design process, within the design team standpoint or from the point of view of the client. The following paper presents a description and application of this model in the teaching of design and discusses its implications on an educational and professional level.