Design Knowledge: Theory in Support of Practice

TLDR

Specific design knowledge (SDK) comprises specialist domain know‑how, including often unconscious expert insights, and its prescriptive yet incomplete content and form critically influence product quality, design efficiency, and the effectiveness of computer‑based expert systems. This paper examines the character, types, forms, and acquisition methods of available specific design knowledge.

Abstract

SUMMARY The study of specific design knowledge (SDK) is pan of design science, and contains the knowledge of the specialist's domain or branch, and particularly the know-how of realizing a technical system. SDK has a prescriptive character, and at present does not possess a fully developed and advantageous form and completeness. In particular, part of SDK consists of ‘personal, often unconscious knowledge’ of design experts. The right content and form for presenting SDK is decisive for the quality of the designed product, the technical system (TS), and for the efficiency and effectiveness of the design process. Beyond that consideration, computer-based expert systems depend fully on the kind of knowledge available in SDK, and its form of presentation. The aspects to be discussed in this paper include the character, types, forms, and ways of obtaining the available SDK.