# Design Dependencies Visualisation Tool

An open source and web-based application to store, display, manipulate and share
structured collections of design heuristics.

## What it is for

Heuristics play a great role in design creativity and learning. There is
generally no systematic method designers can be provided with in order to derive
optimal design solutions. In other words, it is neither possible to list all
solutions to a given problem nor to prove the absolute superiority of a given
solution. However, guidance can be provided to designers in the form of
heuristics, i.e. set of solutions validated by practice, which have proven to
lead towards satisfactory solutions, but which are not guaranteed to be optimal
or perfect. Heuristics express a supposed causal relation between two design
parameters. For example, in the context of automobile development, “overall
weight” has a direct relation with “energy consumption in use.”

This tool allows displaying the network built by all causal relations between
design parameters. It provides an environment to explore and navigate in this
network in order to support creativity in design.

## Installation and use

There is no installation required. Just download the package on a local folder.
To use the application, open the file `dist/Design-dependencies.html` with a web
browser. That's it!  The tool is still under development, so there is no user
manual so far. Work in progress...

## Learn more

This application is developed as part of research works performed at the
Technische Universität Berlin, Germany, and the University of Bath, England.
More background information under:

  - Bonvoisin, J., Tom Buchert, Rainer Stark, 2018. „Formal system for the
    expression of target-oriented design heuristics”. In: Marjanović D., M.
    Štorga, S. Škec, Bojčetić, N. Pavković, DS92: Proceedings of the DESIGN 2018
    15th International Design Conference, pp. 45-56, Design Conference 2018, May
    21-24, Dubrovnik, Croatia. DOI <https://doi.org/10.21278/idc.2018.0120>.

  - Bonvoisin J., F. Mathieux, L. Domingo, D. Brissaud. 2010. Design for energy
    efficiency: proposition of a guidelines-based tool.  In: *Proceedings of
    DESIGN 2010, the 11th International Design Conference*, edited by D.
    Marjanovic, M. Storga, N. Pavkovic and N. Bojcetic, 629-638.  Castle Cary:
    The Design Society. Available from:
    <https://www.designsociety.org/publication/29408/design_for_energy_efficiency_proposition_of_a_guidelines-based_tool>

## Refer to this work

If you use this work, please refer to it as: Bonvoisin, J., Buchert, T., 2018.
Design Dependencies Visualisation Tool. <https://doi.org/10.15125/BATH-00518>.