A Comprehensive Behavioural Process Model for Design Synthesis

Design synthesis is a critical activity for the development of design solutions. Although there are already quite some design synthesis models for the conceptual phase of product design, there still lacks a comprehensive model that takes into account extensive aspects of behavioural process characteristics, which are essential for the development of design solutions. In this paper, the characteristics of behavioural process are investigated and a number of inherent relations and characterization within a behavioural process are identified, including temporal relation, loop relation and state characterization, in addition to the existing causal relation. A comprehensive behavioural process model is subsequently developed, where the identified relations and characterization, together with the behavioural process development procedure are incorporated. The model can be used in explicitly exploring the behavioural process characteristics and thus assisting the designers in synthesis for design solutions. A design case study is also presented to illustrate as well as to verify the proposed methodologies.