A preliminary study of novice and expert users' decision-making procedures during visual trade space exploration

David Wolf, Timothy W. Simpson, Xiaolong Zhang

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Thanks to recent advances in computing power and speed, designers can now generate a wealth of data on demand to support engineering design decision-making. Unfortunately, while the ability to generate and store new data continues to grow, methods and tools to support multi-dimensional data exploration have evolved at a much slower pace. Moreover, current methods and tools are often ill-equipped at accommodating evolving knowledge sources and expert-driven exploration that is being enabled by computational thinking. In this paper, we discuss ongoing research that seeks to transform decades-old decision-making paradigms rooted in operations research by considering how to effectively convert data into knowledge that enhances decision-making and leads to better designs. Specifically, we address decision-making within the area of trade space exploration by conducting human-computer interaction studies using multi-dimensional data visualization software that we have been developing. We first discuss a Pilot Study that was conducted to gain insight into expected differences between novice and expert decisionmakers using a small test group. We then present the results of two Preliminary Experiments designed to gain insight into procedural differences in how novices and experts use multidimensional data visualization and exploration tools and to measure their ability to use these tools effectively when solving an engineering design problem. This work supports our goal of developing training protocols that support efficient and effective trade space exploration.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationProceedings of the ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference 2009, DETC2009
Pages1361-1371
Number of pages11
EditionPART B
StatePublished - Jun 25 2010
Event2009 ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, DETC2009 - San Diego, CA, United States
Duration: Aug 30 2009Sep 2 2009

Publication series

NameProceedings of the ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference 2009, DETC2009
NumberPART B
Volume5

Other

Other2009 ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, DETC2009
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Diego, CA
Period8/30/099/2/09

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Computer Networks and Communications
  • Hardware and Architecture
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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