Toward an adaption-innovation strategy for engineering design

A cognition-based strategy for managing the stages of product design and development is illustrated with the aid of a new Cognition-Based Design (CBD) framework. This paper briefly introduces the CBD framework and demonstrates how Adaption-Innovation theory can be used to build an integrated strategy for engineering design based on a common set of cognitive variables, with particular attention to the design process, the designer's problem solving functions, and the resulting product. Data gathered through an exploratory application of Adaption-Innovation theory with design engineers in industry are discussed. Recommendations for making use of the new strategy within design activities are provided, as well as suggestions for future research.