The design project presented here explores the relation between body and a garment. It is concerned simultaneously with the fundamental notion of a garment and the act of dressing. The project can be contextualized as a constructive design research since the aim does not involve analysis of the material world nor rational problem solving. Rather, the aim is to create new imaginary realities, and visualize them. As a startup method to construct a theory, workshops were set up using life size vertical action collages, in order to integrate the act of dressing with the aim to develop a new construction method. Two actors, one of them myself, were used to provide a greater diversity of perspectives and interpretations. A method of dressing which involved interlocking the body - limbs and waist - with vertically hanging textiles, was developed through the search for the holes, that constitute the infrastructure of a garment. The results are both artefacts, that visualize the new garment construction as well as a new routine of dressing through the novel method of garment construction. Dressing a body in textiles through interlocking which results in an intimate connection between body and the garment as the body reacts to the garment and vice versa. The motivation for exploring the act of dressing is an urge to reflect upon the fast evolving society of today which tends to emphasize a static relationship between body and a garment.

Consideration of products' ergonomic qualities is one important component for successful product development. Product designers engaged in the core activity of product development need methods that support the consideration of ergonomics along with other product requirements. This thesis aims to address these needs. The first part of the thesis investigates how people working within product development organisations communicate with and about users of their products. The general need for methods to support communication of user aspects in product development is identified through formal interviews with product developers and a review of the management, ergonomics and design literature. The second part of the thesis studies the factors which affect the integration of ergonomics in product design. Supportive methods, including User Characters, for evoking user consideration among designers together with Overlapping methods for scheduling ergonomics evaluation in product design processes are introduced and argued. The third part of the thesis reviews and discusses computer aided ergonomics as a means for integration of ergonomics in product design. A web-based support system for effective employment of human simulation tools is developed using a participative approach and evaluated based on the system's usability. The objective of the fourth part of the thesis is to study how human simulation tools can aid designers' consideration of human diversity to accommodate users of diverse anthropometric characteristics in multivariate design problems such as automobile cockpits. The work involves the evaluation of different approaches for the generation of specific manikin families which can be used as test groups for fitting trials in the virtual design process. The research demonstrates enhancements in design methodology knowledge to support integration of ergonomics in product design processes with a focus on anthropometric diversity in vehicle design.

This study analyses students&rsquo / design processes within a graduation project that is devised as to approximate a real-life design task. It comprises a literature search on developments in design methodology, and two field studies, a participant observation study followed by long interviews with a selection of the observation sample. Through the literature search, a framework representing the nature of the design activity is brought together on the basis of three studies in descriptive design methodology. Together with the field studies equipped with this framework, this study sought to elucidate students&rsquo / design processes in order to provide insights for design education. Analysing students&rsquo / processes, their design problems and the academic scheme within which they operated, pertaining to their respective influences on students&rsquo / projects and progresses, implications to facilitate further developments of educational curriculum and academic schemes are reached.

An argument is developed for a new framework for design, to assist in overcoming barriers to the implementation of environmentally responsible solutions for building design. Though there exist the technical solutions to move towards more environmentally benign building practices, the vast majority of building designers do not employ these solutions in their designs. The research first identifies some problems to be overcome in order to improve the implementation of environmentally responsible design solutions. These problems are: the complexity and value conflict presented by environmental issues; the inability of designers to effectively pre-structure design problems in terms of environmental issues; the difficulty designers face in making design decisions regarding environmental issues; the ineffectiveness of existing tools at providing assistance with these problems, and the lack of ecological grounding of existing tools and of design thinking in general. The search for solutions to these problems guides the direction of the research. Three streams of investigation are conducted, making up the first three parts of the thesis. The first stream is an investigation of design methods which results in recommendations for ways of providing assistance to the designer. A range of existing environmental assessment tools are reviewed in the light of these recommendations and their suitability, as providers of design assistance, is evaluated. The second stream is an investigation of the potential for ecological theory to inform design thinking and then, hence, to inform the development of building environmental assessment tools. Seven principles for ecological design are developed and these shape further recommendations for means of providing assistance to designers. The third stream documents the testing of some of the recommendations, from theory, in practice. A series of case studies have been conducted in which two interventions have been made into the design process. The first intervention is the front-loading of the design process with environmental considerations by implementing an Environmental Brief. The second intervention is the introduction of life cycle thinking into the design process. The results from these three streams of investigation inform the development of a new model for building environmental assessment that provides assistance during the design process. The new model is a framework for the design process within which various components fulfil a series of interrelated tasks aimed at solving the problems that currently lead to poor implementation of environmental design strategies. The implementation of recommendations based on the seven principles for ecological design produce a new paradigm for environmental assessment of buildings. In particular the application of the building life cycle, in the form of an organisational structure for the framework, provides a means of visualising and mapping the relationships between the building and the environment. This helps the designer to better understand these relationships and therefore be able to better deal with their complexity and the conflicts arising between various competing environmental issues. The building life cycle, provides an overarching structure within which any environmental issues may be considered. This provides great flexibility, for consideration of unique project parameters, for the inclusion of different existing tools within the new framework and for the future evolution of the framework and the issues that it covers. The framework directs emphasis toward the early stages of the design process though the environmental briefing process. The briefing process assists with the setting of priorities for the client and design team, which in turn lead to the setting of design problems that are more likely to contain environmental criteria. The most beneficial aspect of this is found to be the improved pre-structuring of design problems over time as experience of previous projects is utilised when considering new ones. This highlights an important role for the framework as a record of the design process. This record can be used as a reference throughout the design of the building under consideration at the time, and for reference during the design of future projects.

Designers e profissionais de diversas áreas de conhecimento têm utilizado a Etnografia com o intuito de aproximar a teoria da realidade na qual pode ser aplicada. No processo de design, a Etnografia propõe uma forma empática de abordar pessoas em seu ambiente de vivência, auxiliando o designer a conhecer a realidade do grupo da forma mais natural possível. Assim, o designer torna-se mais propenso a compreender melhor o comportamento das pessoas e identificar necessidades reais a serem atendidas. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo elaborar um Framework para auxiliar o designer na realização da pesquisa com usuários, utilizando métodos que partem de uma abordagem etnográfica para identificar as necessidades de um grupo de pessoas. Para tanto, a revisão de literatura abrangeu o estudo da Etnografia e sua aproximação com a disciplina de Design, concentrando-se, em seguida, nos métodos de pesquisa com usuários. A partir disso, foi possível estabelecer categorias de métodos que se baseiam em diferentes formas de participação do usuário na pesquisa, incluindo métodos comumente aplicados em pesquisas de Marketing, métodos provenientes da Etnografia e métodos com influência do Co-design. Após a revisão de literatura, deu-se início ao desenvolvimento do Framework para Pesquisa com Usuários, realizado em três momentos. Inicialmente, foram definidas as etapas que compõem a pesquisa com usuários; em seguida, foram definidos os manuais e livros utilizados como fontes de referência; por fim, realizou-se uma triagem para selecionar os métodos de pesquisa com usuários. A triagem foi dividida em quatro etapas (listagem, mapeamento, agrupamento e seleção), abrangendo 337 métodos retirados das fontes de referência. Ao final, foram selecionados 45 métodos caracterizados a partir de uma abordagem etnográfica e agrupados de acordo com as categorias estabelecidas. O resultado deste estudo é composto por sugestões sobre importantes aspectos a serem considerados durante a pesquisa com usuários e pelo “Framework para Pesquisa com Usuários”, estruturado em três etapas (Planejar, Coletar, e Organizar), que contém as sugestões elaboradas de forma resumida e os métodos passíveis de aplicação, em conformidade com o objetivo de cada etapa. / Designers and professionals from various fields of knowledge have been used Ethnography in order to bring the theory for the reality in which it can be applied. In design process, Ethnography proposes an empathic manner to approach the user in its context, assisting the designer to know people’s life in the most natural way as possible. Thus, the designer becomes more likely to better understand people’s behaviour and identify real needs to be addressed. This research aimed to develop a Framework to assist the designer in conducting users research, using methods based on an ethnographic approach in order to identify real needs of a group. For such purpose, the literature review covered the study of Ethnography and its approximation with Design discipline, focusing then on methods for users research. From this, it was possible to establish categories of methods that are based on different forms of user participation in research, including methods generally used in Marketing research, methods from Ethnography, and methods influenced by Co-design. After the literature review, the development of the Framework for Users Research was performed in three moments. Initially, the steps of user research were defined; then the manuals and books used as reference sources were defined; and finally, a screening for select methods of user research was carried out. The screening was divided into four stages (listing, mapping, grouping, and selection) including 337 methods taken from reference sources. A whole of 45 methods were selected and characterized from an ethnographic approach, then they were grouped according to the established categories. The result of this study is composed by suggestions about important aspects to be considered during the user research; and by the “Framework for Users Research” structured in three stages – Planning, Collecting, and Organizing, that contains the suggestions briefly and the methods that can be applied in accordance with the purpose of each stage.

Designers e profissionais de diversas áreas de conhecimento têm utilizado a Etnografia com o intuito de aproximar a teoria da realidade na qual pode ser aplicada. No processo de design, a Etnografia propõe uma forma empática de abordar pessoas em seu ambiente de vivência, auxiliando o designer a conhecer a realidade do grupo da forma mais natural possível. Assim, o designer torna-se mais propenso a compreender melhor o comportamento das pessoas e identificar necessidades reais a serem atendidas. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo elaborar um Framework para auxiliar o designer na realização da pesquisa com usuários, utilizando métodos que partem de uma abordagem etnográfica para identificar as necessidades de um grupo de pessoas. Para tanto, a revisão de literatura abrangeu o estudo da Etnografia e sua aproximação com a disciplina de Design, concentrando-se, em seguida, nos métodos de pesquisa com usuários. A partir disso, foi possível estabelecer categorias de métodos que se baseiam em diferentes formas de participação do usuário na pesquisa, incluindo métodos comumente aplicados em pesquisas de Marketing, métodos provenientes da Etnografia e métodos com influência do Co-design. Após a revisão de literatura, deu-se início ao desenvolvimento do Framework para Pesquisa com Usuários, realizado em três momentos. Inicialmente, foram definidas as etapas que compõem a pesquisa com usuários; em seguida, foram definidos os manuais e livros utilizados como fontes de referência; por fim, realizou-se uma triagem para selecionar os métodos de pesquisa com usuários. A triagem foi dividida em quatro etapas (listagem, mapeamento, agrupamento e seleção), abrangendo 337 métodos retirados das fontes de referência. Ao final, foram selecionados 45 métodos caracterizados a partir de uma abordagem etnográfica e agrupados de acordo com as categorias estabelecidas. O resultado deste estudo é composto por sugestões sobre importantes aspectos a serem considerados durante a pesquisa com usuários e pelo “Framework para Pesquisa com Usuários”, estruturado em três etapas (Planejar, Coletar, e Organizar), que contém as sugestões elaboradas de forma resumida e os métodos passíveis de aplicação, em conformidade com o objetivo de cada etapa. / Designers and professionals from various fields of knowledge have been used Ethnography in order to bring the theory for the reality in which it can be applied. In design process, Ethnography proposes an empathic manner to approach the user in its context, assisting the designer to know people’s life in the most natural way as possible. Thus, the designer becomes more likely to better understand people’s behaviour and identify real needs to be addressed. This research aimed to develop a Framework to assist the designer in conducting users research, using methods based on an ethnographic approach in order to identify real needs of a group. For such purpose, the literature review covered the study of Ethnography and its approximation with Design discipline, focusing then on methods for users research. From this, it was possible to establish categories of methods that are based on different forms of user participation in research, including methods generally used in Marketing research, methods from Ethnography, and methods influenced by Co-design. After the literature review, the development of the Framework for Users Research was performed in three moments. Initially, the steps of user research were defined; then the manuals and books used as reference sources were defined; and finally, a screening for select methods of user research was carried out. The screening was divided into four stages (listing, mapping, grouping, and selection) including 337 methods taken from reference sources. A whole of 45 methods were selected and characterized from an ethnographic approach, then they were grouped according to the established categories. The result of this study is composed by suggestions about important aspects to be considered during the user research; and by the “Framework for Users Research” structured in three stages – Planning, Collecting, and Organizing, that contains the suggestions briefly and the methods that can be applied in accordance with the purpose of each stage.

Designers e profissionais de diversas áreas de conhecimento têm utilizado a Etnografia com o intuito de aproximar a teoria da realidade na qual pode ser aplicada. No processo de design, a Etnografia propõe uma forma empática de abordar pessoas em seu ambiente de vivência, auxiliando o designer a conhecer a realidade do grupo da forma mais natural possível. Assim, o designer torna-se mais propenso a compreender melhor o comportamento das pessoas e identificar necessidades reais a serem atendidas. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo elaborar um Framework para auxiliar o designer na realização da pesquisa com usuários, utilizando métodos que partem de uma abordagem etnográfica para identificar as necessidades de um grupo de pessoas. Para tanto, a revisão de literatura abrangeu o estudo da Etnografia e sua aproximação com a disciplina de Design, concentrando-se, em seguida, nos métodos de pesquisa com usuários. A partir disso, foi possível estabelecer categorias de métodos que se baseiam em diferentes formas de participação do usuário na pesquisa, incluindo métodos comumente aplicados em pesquisas de Marketing, métodos provenientes da Etnografia e métodos com influência do Co-design. Após a revisão de literatura, deu-se início ao desenvolvimento do Framework para Pesquisa com Usuários, realizado em três momentos. Inicialmente, foram definidas as etapas que compõem a pesquisa com usuários; em seguida, foram definidos os manuais e livros utilizados como fontes de referência; por fim, realizou-se uma triagem para selecionar os métodos de pesquisa com usuários. A triagem foi dividida em quatro etapas (listagem, mapeamento, agrupamento e seleção), abrangendo 337 métodos retirados das fontes de referência. Ao final, foram selecionados 45 métodos caracterizados a partir de uma abordagem etnográfica e agrupados de acordo com as categorias estabelecidas. O resultado deste estudo é composto por sugestões sobre importantes aspectos a serem considerados durante a pesquisa com usuários e pelo “Framework para Pesquisa com Usuários”, estruturado em três etapas (Planejar, Coletar, e Organizar), que contém as sugestões elaboradas de forma resumida e os métodos passíveis de aplicação, em conformidade com o objetivo de cada etapa. / Designers and professionals from various fields of knowledge have been used Ethnography in order to bring the theory for the reality in which it can be applied. In design process, Ethnography proposes an empathic manner to approach the user in its context, assisting the designer to know people’s life in the most natural way as possible. Thus, the designer becomes more likely to better understand people’s behaviour and identify real needs to be addressed. This research aimed to develop a Framework to assist the designer in conducting users research, using methods based on an ethnographic approach in order to identify real needs of a group. For such purpose, the literature review covered the study of Ethnography and its approximation with Design discipline, focusing then on methods for users research. From this, it was possible to establish categories of methods that are based on different forms of user participation in research, including methods generally used in Marketing research, methods from Ethnography, and methods influenced by Co-design. After the literature review, the development of the Framework for Users Research was performed in three moments. Initially, the steps of user research were defined; then the manuals and books used as reference sources were defined; and finally, a screening for select methods of user research was carried out. The screening was divided into four stages (listing, mapping, grouping, and selection) including 337 methods taken from reference sources. A whole of 45 methods were selected and characterized from an ethnographic approach, then they were grouped according to the established categories. The result of this study is composed by suggestions about important aspects to be considered during the user research; and by the “Framework for Users Research” structured in three stages – Planning, Collecting, and Organizing, that contains the suggestions briefly and the methods that can be applied in accordance with the purpose of each stage.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-15T21:46:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Mario Biselli 1 .pdf: 13668469 bytes, checksum: 66755536275f09e56e10e3b717f6abce (MD5) Mario Biselli 2.pdf: 29728682 bytes, checksum: 1c1ed412b6a1b9b325973c185ba0c30a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-04-14 / The thesis focuses in design theory and approaches specifically the parti, or design concept. The way this issue is approached here is profoundly connected to the fact that the author is an architect involved in architectural design since his graduation in 1985. The thesis develops around the characteristics of the parti nowadays. The development is also conducted by acknowledging transformation and expansion around the notion of architectural design and the determination of the parti, wich leads to recognize differences with propositions in the context of the french École des Beaux Arts during 19th century and following developments through the modern period in the turn of the century and 20th century. The thesis establishes its bases in the observation that the formulation of a parti is not conditioned by any methodological proceedings, revealing itself as a eccentric, nonlinear, however central to the design process. The relation between parti and method are therefore widely examined by case studies based on author's professional practice. / Este estudo se insere na temática da teoria do projeto e aborda especificamente o partido arquitetônico. O modo como esta questão é abordada aqui está ligado fundamentalmente ao fato de que o autor é arquiteto atuante em desenvolvimento de projetos de arquitetura desde sua formação, em 1985. O trabalho tem seu desenvolvimento em torno de algumas indagações fundamentais a respeito de como se caracteriza o partido arquitetônico na contemporaneidade. O trabalho também se desenvolve a partir do reconhecimento das recentes transformações dos modos de projetar e da expansão da própria noção de partido arquitetônico, que na atualidade se apresenta notadamente diversa das propostas no âmbito da École des Beaux-Arts francesa durante o século XIX e suas consequentes derivações modernistas, na virada do século e durante o século XX. O estudo se fundamenta na observação de que a formulação de um partido não se submete a nenhum tipo de procedimento metodológico apriorista, sendo antes o aspecto excêntrico, não linear, aparentemente arbitrário e, contudo central dentro do processo projetual. A relação, portanto, entre partido e método é amplamente examinada através de estudos de caso provenientes da prática profissional.

The CATS TCT is a military wargaming simulator used by the Swedish Armed Forces for education of position holders within battalion or company staffs. The CATS TCT was developed during the nineties and one of the challenges today is how the system can be modernized in order to meet the increased demands on usability. This master thesis is part of the work with modernizing the CATS TCT and a usability study has been conducted in order to identify issues and problems of the current system related to usability. This thesis is conducted at BAE Systems C-ITS in Linköping and the main focus of this study has been how to analyze and re-design the CATS TCT in order to enhance the usability of the system. Empirical data in this study has been collected through six semi-structured interviews, one observation and two focus group interviews and the result of this study has elicit several problem areas related to any of following usability aspects: effectiveness, efficiency or satisfaction. The conclusions from this investigation is that the CATS TCT simulator is an valuable and appreciated educational tool – especially from an effectiveness point of view. When it comes to efficiency, however, several problems areas has been identified and these areas are: information architecture, interface interaction, how orders are issued to units and how the simulation rules are implemented. When it comes to the users satisfaction of the system no unequivocal conclusion has been possible to present. As a complement to the identified issues and problems of the simulator this study has also presented examples on how prototypes could be used to solve some of the identified problems. More specifically, in this report re-design solutions related to how the users interact with the map, how orders are issued and how status overview is displayed has been presented.

Application of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) has increased recently as a sustainable alternative in concrete construction. Although application of RCA has substantially grown over the past decades, issues related to its structural performance and long-term behaviour still prevent its widespread application, especially in structural purposes. In this study, a new mixture proportioning method called the “Equivalent Volume (EV)” method is proposed for RCA concrete, which is developed on the assumption that the RCA mix is based on a companion conventional concrete mix having the same volume of “cement paste and aggregates” as the companion mixture. RCA mixes containing different aggregate types and mechanical properties were designed using the EV method. Chemical, mechanical and non-destructive tests were performed and their performance was investigated. Finally, a quality control protocol for evaluating the suitability of RCA sources for structural applications is proposed. Results show that the EV method seems a promising approach to mix-proportion eco-friendly recycled concrete mixes. Moreover, the RCA type and properties seem to influence in the behaviour of RCA concrete and thus should be accounted in the mix- design.