Computer-supported systematic design and knowledge management in the early design phase

摘要

The analysis and identification of the requirements, the search for solution principles and the analysis and decision of the solution variants are important critical situations' in every design process [1]. Especially in the early design phases 'task clarification', 'concept' and 'embodiment design', the course and main result characteristics of a product development project are determined. For example, a big amount of the later production costs is a consequence of the decisions for the solution principles taken in the concept phase, whereas the efforts and costs for design changes increase during the progress of a product development project. In order to make decisions between different solution variants in an early stage of a project in the most objective way, it is necessary to have access to as much relevant information about these solutions as possible. Investigations in industry indicate, that a major source of information is the experience of colleagues from former design projects [2].