Towards a shared ontology: A generic classification of cognitive processes in conceptual design
Towards addressing ontological issues in design cognition research, this paper presents the first generic classification of cognitive processes investigated in protocol studies on conceptual design cognition. The classification is based on a systematic review of 47 studies published over the past 30...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2017-01-01
|
| Series: | Design Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2053470117000063/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1811156410888617984 |
|---|---|
| author | Laura Hay Alex H. B. Duffy Chris McTeague Laura M. Pidgeon Tijana Vuletic Madeleine Grealy |
| author_facet | Laura Hay Alex H. B. Duffy Chris McTeague Laura M. Pidgeon Tijana Vuletic Madeleine Grealy |
| author_sort | Laura Hay |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Towards addressing ontological issues in design cognition research, this paper presents the first generic classification of cognitive processes investigated in protocol studies on conceptual design cognition. The classification is based on a systematic review of 47 studies published over the past 30 years. Three viewpoints on the nature of design cognition are outlined (search, exploration and design activities), highlighting considerable differences in the concepts and terminology applied to describe cognition. To provide a more unified view of the cognitive processes fundamentally under study, we map specific descriptions of cognitive processes provided in protocol studies to more generic, established definitions in the cognitive psychology literature. This reveals a set of 6 categories of cognitive process that appear to be commonly studied and are therefore likely to be prevalent in conceptual design: (1) long-term memory; (2) semantic processing; (3) visual perception; (4) mental imagery processing; (5) creative output production and (6) executive functions. The categories and their constituent processes are formalised in the generic classification. The classification provides the basis for a generic, shared ontology of cognitive processes in design that is conceptually and terminologically consistent with the ontology of cognitive psychology and neuroscience. In addition, the work highlights 6 key avenues for future empirical research: (1) the role of episodic and semantic memory; (2) consistent definitions of semantic processes; (3) the role of sketching from alternative theoretical perspectives on perception and mental imagery; (4) the role of working memory; (5) the meaning and nature of synthesis and (6) unidentified cognitive processes implicated in conceptual design elsewhere in the literature. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:51:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-028efad351804f5887b187cbdbb78434 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2053-4701 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:51:07Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Design Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-028efad351804f5887b187cbdbb784342023-03-09T12:31:57ZengCambridge University PressDesign Science2053-47012017-01-01310.1017/dsj.2017.6Towards a shared ontology: A generic classification of cognitive processes in conceptual designLaura Hay0Alex H. B. Duffy1Chris McTeague2Laura M. Pidgeon3Tijana Vuletic4Madeleine Grealy5Department of Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XJ, UKDepartment of Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XJ, UKDepartment of Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XJ, UKSchool of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1QE, UKDepartment of Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XJ, UKSchool of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1QE, UKTowards addressing ontological issues in design cognition research, this paper presents the first generic classification of cognitive processes investigated in protocol studies on conceptual design cognition. The classification is based on a systematic review of 47 studies published over the past 30 years. Three viewpoints on the nature of design cognition are outlined (search, exploration and design activities), highlighting considerable differences in the concepts and terminology applied to describe cognition. To provide a more unified view of the cognitive processes fundamentally under study, we map specific descriptions of cognitive processes provided in protocol studies to more generic, established definitions in the cognitive psychology literature. This reveals a set of 6 categories of cognitive process that appear to be commonly studied and are therefore likely to be prevalent in conceptual design: (1) long-term memory; (2) semantic processing; (3) visual perception; (4) mental imagery processing; (5) creative output production and (6) executive functions. The categories and their constituent processes are formalised in the generic classification. The classification provides the basis for a generic, shared ontology of cognitive processes in design that is conceptually and terminologically consistent with the ontology of cognitive psychology and neuroscience. In addition, the work highlights 6 key avenues for future empirical research: (1) the role of episodic and semantic memory; (2) consistent definitions of semantic processes; (3) the role of sketching from alternative theoretical perspectives on perception and mental imagery; (4) the role of working memory; (5) the meaning and nature of synthesis and (6) unidentified cognitive processes implicated in conceptual design elsewhere in the literature.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2053470117000063/type/journal_articlecognitive processesconceptual designdesign cognitionprotocol analysispsychology |
| spellingShingle | Laura Hay Alex H. B. Duffy Chris McTeague Laura M. Pidgeon Tijana Vuletic Madeleine Grealy Towards a shared ontology: A generic classification of cognitive processes in conceptual design Design Science cognitive processes conceptual design design cognition protocol analysis psychology |
| title | Towards a shared ontology: A generic classification of cognitive processes in conceptual design |
| title_full | Towards a shared ontology: A generic classification of cognitive processes in conceptual design |
| title_fullStr | Towards a shared ontology: A generic classification of cognitive processes in conceptual design |
| title_full_unstemmed | Towards a shared ontology: A generic classification of cognitive processes in conceptual design |
| title_short | Towards a shared ontology: A generic classification of cognitive processes in conceptual design |
| title_sort | towards a shared ontology a generic classification of cognitive processes in conceptual design |
| topic | cognitive processes conceptual design design cognition protocol analysis psychology |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2053470117000063/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT laurahay towardsasharedontologyagenericclassificationofcognitiveprocessesinconceptualdesign AT alexhbduffy towardsasharedontologyagenericclassificationofcognitiveprocessesinconceptualdesign AT chrismcteague towardsasharedontologyagenericclassificationofcognitiveprocessesinconceptualdesign AT laurampidgeon towardsasharedontologyagenericclassificationofcognitiveprocessesinconceptualdesign AT tijanavuletic towardsasharedontologyagenericclassificationofcognitiveprocessesinconceptualdesign AT madeleinegrealy towardsasharedontologyagenericclassificationofcognitiveprocessesinconceptualdesign |