Using shape grammars to identify salient features in support of product family design

Timothy D. Culbertson, Timothy W. Simpson

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

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Product form and aesthetics play a major role in consumer preference and product differentiation. During product family design, it is important to differentiate products in the family yet similarities among some stylistic features may connote a more coherent design strategy. Shape grammars offer a method for producing designs with a coherent style along with the ability to control the variation of the output shapes. In this paper, we investigate the use of shape grammars to support product family design, namely, identification of features that shape the perceptions of similarity within a family. A survey-based approach is implemented wherein the impact of a shape parameter on product style is evaluated by comparing design variants to a baseline design. Respondents are asked to rate the style similarities on a Likert-like scale, and candidate shape parameters are screened for aesthetic significance using a fractional factorial experiment. The approach is demonstrated using a family of medical ultrasound transducers, and our screening is validated using a full factorial experiment with practicing ultrasound transducer designers and engineers.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication2nd Biennial International Conference on Dynamics for Design; 26th International Conference on Design Theory and Methodology
PublisherAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
ISBN (Electronic)9780791846407
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014
EventASME 2014 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, IDETC/CIE 2014 - Buffalo, United States
Duration: Aug 17 2014Aug 20 2014

Publication series

NameProceedings of the ASME Design Engineering Technical Conference
Volume7

Other

OtherASME 2014 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, IDETC/CIE 2014
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityBuffalo
Period8/17/148/20/14

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Modeling and Simulation
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design

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