Title: Axiomatic design theory: further notes and its guideline to applications

Authors: L.X. Fan; M.Y. Cai; Y. Lin; W.J. Zhang

Addresses: Department of Manufacturing Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, No. 200 Xiaolingwei Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210094, China ' School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, A408, Dorm 20, No. 130 Meilong Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200237, China ' 334 Snell Engineering Center, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5A9, Canada

Abstract: Axiomatic design theory (ADT) is a theory primarily based on two axioms and they are supposed to guide into a design that is sound. The ADT was developed around the 80s and 90s at MIT led by Num P. Suh. Since then, there have been many developments with ADT in literature, including guidelines for applying ADT to practical design or decision-making problems. Along with the ADT and its exciting developments, there has also been some confusion presented in the ADT literature, which hinders the effective application of ADT. This paper attempts to clarify ADT with an aim to remove the confusion, which is conducive to a further development of ADT. The contribution of this paper also lies in the provision of guidelines to apply ADT to practical design or decision-making problems. Finally, the paper generalises the first axiom to a more general one, suitable to general problem solving in the field of decision science.

Keywords: axiomatic design theory; ADT; design process; decision making; problem solving.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMPT.2015.072557

International Journal of Materials and Product Technology, 2015 Vol.51 No.4, pp.359 - 374

Received: 03 Sep 2014
Accepted: 10 Mar 2015
Published online: 19 Oct 2015 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article