Situating needs and requirements in the FBS framework

doi:10.1016/j.destud.2012.12.001

Design Studies

Volume 34, Issue 5, September 2013, Pages 636-662

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2012.12.001 Get rights and content

The paper proposes an extension of Gero's Function–Behaviour–Structure (FBS) framework aimed at representing Needs and Requirements and their relationships with the Function, the Behaviour and the Structure of an artefact. Needs and Requirements are modelled as further types of variables to describe, with the same formal approach of the situated FBS model, the transformation processes, which occur in the earlier stages of design. The proposed model is clarified through an application to the information gathered within an industrial project to reduce water and energy consumption of a washing machine. By situating Needs and Requirements into the FBS framework, it is possible to properly represent all the tasks and the related cognitive processes characterising the earliest stages of the new product development.

Highlights

► The FBS model is extended so as to comprise Needs and Requirements definition in the early stages of design. ► Needs and Requirements are ‘situated’ in relation to the External, the Interpreted and the Expected world. ► The revised model is illustrated by examples from a case study of innovative washing machine design. ► A parallel between the extended model, and one proposed by Simon in 1960 is drawn.

Section snippets

Background of the FBS model

The situated FBS model (Gero & Kannengiesser, 2004) considers three classes of variables as the object of the design activities and eight reference processes and introduces three different types of environments in which those processes can take place. The reference variables are:

•
Functions (F), which describe the aim of the object, i.e., what the object is for;
•
Structures (S), which describe the object's components and their relationships, i.e., what the object is; and
•
Behaviours (B), which

Needs and requirements: related works

The marketing literature considers ‘the Voice of the Customer’ (Griffin & Hauser, 1993) to understand the customer's needs. Some contributions (e.g., Belch & Belch, 2004) mainly focused on the analysis of the customer's behaviour, explicitly considered the ‘consumer needs’ as an output of the ‘consumer decision making problems’ and stressed the importance of considering the wider ‘customer behaviour’ concept (in addition to the ‘customer needs’) to correctly define product requirements (e.g.,

Proposal for an extended FBS model

While Gero's FBS framework considers three classes of variables, Function (what an artefact is for), Behaviour (what an artefact does) and Structure (what an artefact is), the idea of the present proposal, to address Issue 1, is to integrate the FBS model by means of two further explicit classes of variables.

•
Needs (N): an expression of a perceived undesirable situation to be avoided or a desirable situation to be attained. This situation can be perceived by any of the actors involved in the

The washing machine case and the impact on the cleaning process

With the aim of clarifying the structure and the processes of the proposed extended FBS framework, the authors have decided to reconsider the information acquired within an innovation project with Whirlpool Europe concerning the reduction of water and energy consumption of a washing machine. According to the proposed perspective, the design process has been analysed step-by-step and described by means of the extended FBS model to check and to appreciate its potential contribution to a better

Conclusions

In this paper, the Function–Behaviour–Structure model of design previously proposed (Gero & Kannengiesser, 2004) is critically analysed and extended. Because the original FBS model does not properly take into consideration the cognitive processes occurring when a designer addresses needs and requirements, the most relevant contribution of the extended model is the capability to represent in detail reasoning about Needs Identification and Requirements Definition.

While maintaining the

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However, the industrial knowledge can be diversified in the smart manufacturing environment and some knowledge is too specific that impractical to be explored from the external resources (i.e. scheduling arrangement). A generic classification method of industrial knowledge can be applied according to the function-behaviour-structure (FBS) ontology [54], which is broadly applied in the conceptualised designing period. Meanwhile, contexts of industrial knowledge are differentiated according to industrial activities (e.g. design, machining).
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View full text

Situating needs and requirements in the FBS framework

Highlights

Section snippets

Background of the FBS model

Needs and requirements: related works

Proposal for an extended FBS model

The washing machine case and the impact on the cleaning process

Conclusions

Procedia Engineering

International Journal of Production Economics

Procedia Engineering

CIRP Annals – Manufacturing Technology

Technology Forecasting and Social Change

Design Studies

Design Studies

Design Studies

Technological Forecasting and Social Change

Design Studies

Design Studies

Design Studies

Design Studies

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Computers & Chemical Engineering

Notes on the synthesis of form

The timeless way of building

The determination of components for an Indian village

A pattern language

Systematic method for designers

Factors for success in R&D projects and new product innovation: a contextual framework

IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management

Alternative measurement approaches to consumer values: the list of values and the rokeach value survey

Psychology and Marketing

Advertising and promotion: An integrated marketing communications perspective

Managing as designing

Organisational, technical and marketing antecedents for successful new product development

R&D Management

Total quality development