USING DESIGN PROCESS TOOLS TO ASSIST IN THE ANALYSIS OF A PROTOCOL RECORDING

A protocol recording of a designer at work provides an effective means by which knowledge of the design process may be elicited. Several methods have been proposed for modelling such a process; this paper presents the findings of research concerning the application of the Design Structure Matrix (DSM) and signposting methods to a protocol recording of a real design task. It is shown how the construction and analysis of both models can reveal areas in which knowledge was not captured in sufficient detail, and how comparisons between the two representations can highlight conflicts in understanding. The process of formalisation and analysis of a protocol using these methods can provide a useful tool in consolidating understanding.