Analysing and modelling cooperative design by the critical situation method

Abstract

Cooperative design is a complex technical and social process which is influenced by factors from different fields. The individual prerequisites of designers are various particularly with regard to education, experience, competence, skills and problem solving abilities. In product development, designers are also team members who have to interlink various parts of design information w achieve a final product and thus, designers have to collaborate with experts from many fields. Finally, the design process takes place under external and organisational conditions. Based on empirical investigations in industry, the paper analyses the relation between different influences in the design process in determining "critical situations" of the design work. Critical situations are "choice points" with importance for the subsequent design process and the result. For different types of critical situations influencing factors were identified and analysed with regard to success.