Human-centered Design
Design for human
Design for sustainability
Alarm system design
Li, F., Chen, C. H., Lee, C. H., & Khoo, L. P. (2020). A user requirement-driven approach incorporating TRIZ and QFD for designing a smart vessel alarm system to reduce alarm fatigue. The Journal of Navigation, 73(1), 212-232.
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Alarm fatigue is a critical safety issue, as it can increase workload and impair operators' situational awareness. This paper proposes a design methodology to enhance the interaction between alarm systems and operators. Through input from VTS personnel as the fundamental design requirements, a user requirement-driven design framework is proposed. It integrates quality function deployment, the theory of inventive problem solving, and software quality characteristics into three design phases. In Phase I, user requirements are obtained from the analysis of current working processes. Phase II investigates the specific non-functional design requirements of vessel alarm systems and the contradictions. In Phase III, the innovative principles generated with the contradiction matrix were analysed. A case study was conducted to verify and illustrate this framework, resulting in a conceptualisation design of a smart vessel alarm system.
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Quick response product configuration system design
Lee, C. H., Chen, C. H., Lin, C., Li, F., & Zhao, X. (2019). Developing a quick response product configuration system under industry 4.0 based on customer requirement modelling and optimization method. Applied Sciences, 9(23), 5004.
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In the Industry 4.0 environment, the new manufacturing transformation of mass customization for high-complexity and low-volume production is moving forward. Based on cyber-physical system (CPS) and Internet of things (IoT) technology, the flexible transformation of the manufacturing process to suit diverse customer manufacturing requirements is very possible, with the potential to provide digital “make-to-order” (MTO) services with a quick response time. To achieve this potential, a product configuration system, which translates the voice of customers to technical specifications, is needed. The purpose of this study is to propose a methodology for developing a quick-response product configuration system to enhance the communication between the customer and the manufacturer. The aim is to find an approach to receive requests from customers as inputs and generate a product configuration as outputs that maximizes customer satisfaction. In this approach, engineering characteristics (ECs) are defined, and selection pools are initially constructed. Then, quality function deployment (QFD) is modified and integrated with the Kano model to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the relationship between customer requirements (CRs) and customer satisfaction (CS). Next, a mathematical programming model is applied to maximize the overall customer satisfaction level and recommend an optimal product configuration. Finally, sensitivity analysis is conducted to suggest revisions for customers and determine the final customized product specification. A case study and an OrderAssistant system are implemented to demonstrate the procedure and effectiveness of the proposed quick response product configuration system.
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CMedication management design for the elderly
Chang, D., Gu, Z., Li, F., & Jiang, R. (2019). A user-centric smart product-service system development approach: A case study on medication management for the elderly. Advanced Engineering Informatics, 42, 100979.
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​With the advancement in Internet implementations, computational intelligence and network technologies, smart product-service system (SPSS) has become an important research area. A lot of research effort has been devoted to construct the conceptual framework, identify the important elements and evaluate the effectiveness of SPSS. However, there is still no SPSS development approach from user-centric perspective. Therefore, this article aims to provide a novel understanding of user-centric SPSS (UC-SPSS), outline the conceptual framework of UC-SPSS and contribute a UC-SPSS development approach. Specifically, a multimodal user analysis module with S-E-T (society-economy-technology) analysis, user behavioral analysis and user segmentation is deployed. According to the user needs identified, a provider identification and integration network is established in the dimensions of material, data and value flows. Jointly considering the user needs and provider capability, the BCE (benefit-cost-expectation) model and Product Function Architecture are applied to assist in the realization of the smart, connected service. To illustrate, a UC-SPSS on medication management for the elderly was developed, and it has been evaluated from user experience and sustainable value aspects. The results showed that the developed medication service is interesting and helpful for the elderly to take their medication. However, the service is not simple enough, especially in data visualization. In terms of sustainable value, the developed service can achieve better performance in economic, material and energy costs, and can support the further regulation of medical industry. Based on the case illustration, the proposed approach appears effective to help with SPSS development.