Approaches for mapping between preferential probabilities and relative design preference ratings
Year: 2013
Editor: Udo Lindemann, Srinivasan V, Yong Se Kim, Sang Won Lee, John Clarkson, Gaetano Cascini
Author: Ji, Haifeng; Honda, Tomonori; Yang, Maria C.
Series: ICED
Institution: 1: Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; 2: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; 3: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
Page(s): 277-286
ISBN: 978-1-904670-52-0
ISSN: 2220-4334
Abstract
Assigning preferences to a set of design choices is an important activity in the design process. Previous research proposed a probabilistic approach to extracting preference information from transcripts of design team discussion in a low overhead, implicit way. However, the preference information that was extracted took the form of a "preferential probability," rather than a more traditional preference rating. Preference ratings describe the strength of how much a design team prefers a design choice, and several formal design techniques require such preference ratings. This paper examines the underlying theoretical mappings between preferential probabilities and relative preference ratings, and explores the feasibility of converting preferential probabilities into to relative preference ratings. The paper presents an algorithm for performing this conversion, and then illustrates the use of the algorithm by applying it to a case example. The method proposed in this research has the potential to link implicit preference information generated by real world design teams with formal design decision-making tools.
Keywords: Design process, decision making, conceptual design, design preference