A Study Of Distributed Collaborative Design Method Under The Support Of 2D Knowledge Maps

Probably, knowledge in designing, scattered everywhere, may be such pieces of information as text, image, or pieces of information hidden behind these texts and images, or as the implic it knowledge in the designer’s brains. In the process of distributed collaborative design, people’s usages for knowledge are declined due to a lack of the effective communication ways, and even, a loss in knowledge and the deviation in understanding will inevitably occur among the designers when they share design knowledge. With the advent era of knowledge economy, the sharing and innovation of knowledge are able to effectively improve the designing effic iency and quality and create the huge opportunities and wealth for designing and services.Facing medium and small-s ized enterprises which provide design services, this thesis digs up the diversified design knowledge and its flow of the total process from the whole process on the basis of designing procedure of a practical project. The integration of 2D knowledge maps into distributed collaboration mode can not only visualize the flow of design knowledge, but also improve collaboration experience of designers and managers in the whole process, thus further laying a theoretical and practical foundation for optimizing design process/management and knowledge sharing/management. To sum up, the main studies in this thesis is covered as follows:First, background to the relevant industries and status of knowledge map and collaborative design at home and abroad are explored. Trough analys is of needs and development trends of society, the thesis presents some flaws in the current research.Second, the design knowledge of the respective design stages for designing process is studied, inc lusive of the comparison and analys is of intensiveness of design knowledge in designing, followed by classification, and the construction steps of 2D knowledge maps and the characterization method of design knowledge(nodal knowledge and field knowledge) based on designing process.Third, the knowledge maps are manifested in the form of two-dimens ional diagrams. The 2D knowledge maps are adopted to display the flow and reuse of knowledge, the realization of which is chiefly by means of the correlation of knowledge maps. By correlating the related knowledge with knowledge agent,the 2D knowledge map achieves the capture of knowledge flow and shows it as a dynamic and lively fashion.Fourth, the knowledge maps are introduced in the distributed collaborative design in line with 2D visualization form. The operational mode of distributed collaborative design under the support of knowledge maps is briefly analyzed. The 2D knowledge maps are of a promotional role in project progress, that is, capable of indicating “what “who” is doing in “what time".Fifth, the design of wrist watch is used as a case study to verify the method presented in this thes is. The case study simulates the real application of 2D knowledge maps in the distributed design. By constructing an experimental environment and using 2D knowledge maps to establish mapping of visualization and correlation between knowledge resources and collaboration in designing, the feas ibility of the proposed methods is validated. The methods are conducive to optimizing collaborative design’s experience and promoting the sharing, reuse and management of knowledge.