IWES `06 Abstract

Title: Products Designed on Scenario Maps using Pictorial KeyGraph
Author: Kenich Horie1, Yukio Ohsawa1, and Naoaki Okazaki2
Affiliation: 1Department of Quantum Engineering and Systems Science,
Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo
2Department of Information Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo

Abstract: - We developed a method to emerge novel scenarios with group discussion for a product design in a real manufacturing company,　where　Pictorial　KeyGraph aids in the creative consensus of team members. In Pictorial KeyGraph(Fig.1), photographs of real defects corresponding to incomprehensible words in given data are　embedded to the visual result of KeyGraph applied to their business reports, in which tacit and explicit expertise of end users are written so as to design a product in the real world of business. In their communications, novel and practical scenarios of product behaviors were extracted, and 5 new patents have been applied. Behind this success, we found evidences that the team members tend to combine established concepts via rare words in creative designing:　First pay attention to popular concepts in their business reports, appearing as islands in KeyGraph and create many practical scenarios. Then, they calm down to speak less, and finally produce new scenarios by referring to rare words lying between islands in KeyGraph.
Key-Words: - Data Visualization, Pictorial KeyGraph, Scenario Map, Design, Creativity