Formal Concept Analysis in Design

Abstract

Formal concept analysis is a research method using set theoretical models of concepts and their hierarchical orderings. The model is based on concept or Galois lattices whose application for analyzing design contexts has been proposed earlier by Ho (1982a). Although concept lattices have been widely used for analyzing contexts in various areas, such as music, social sciences, or cognitive science, the analysis of design contexts by concept lattices has not gained acceptance. In particular, it has not been recognized yet that Hasse diagrams, a representation of concept lattices by line diagrams, can not only help to visualize important hidden properties of a design context, but also provide a new kind of analytical tool that can support the decision making process. The paper shows that Hasse diagrams contain all information of the underlying context and reveal inherent structural dependencies not captured by any other graphical representation of the given context. It shows also how concept lattices, or rather their Hasse diagrams, can be used for supporting the design process in general and for analyzing design contexts in particular.