A Model of Decision-Making Knowledge in Conceptual Design

ABSTRACT Systematic models for concept evaluation and selection have been proposed for decades to support decision making. However, in conceptual design, engineers do not always approach decision-making in a systematic manner as these models propose. The area of decision-making in conceptual design still does not seem to have many pieces of research that can serve as a theory base, especially in terms of understanding the role of knowledge in decision-making. The objective of this paper is to propose a model of the forms of knowledge involved in decision-making and their relationships. A coding system of decision-making in conceptual design that can be used to explore the role of knowledge in decision-making has been developed. The model shows that engineering designers make tentative decisions based on tentative knowledge. Knowledge plays a fundamental role, since decisions become validated as the knowledge does, and hidden assumptions are not proved wrong. The results have important implications on decision-making traceability and decisions storage.