Balancing designer influence with rework for design paths of a simple polynomial model

Abstract

Path selection is a temporal undertaking characterized by the order design activities are performed and decisions are made. It may be considered arbitrary in the grand scheme of marine design, but it can have far-reaching impacts on required rework in the maturation of an acceptable design solution. Marine design is largely human-driven in the handling of interdependent vessel characteristics between analyses, so any simulation capturing the progression and iteration of design activities must account for actual human tendencies. The following research extends a previous study exploring the likelihood of design convergence based on path selection [1]. The new study assumes analyses cannot be executed in multiple directions nor combined, which introduces different types of rework. The updated model explores the same variables and paths as the previous study through two simulations differing in experience and rework while simultaneously acknowledging the independent variables a designer has influence over with each design activity. Both simulations highlight the path benefits and flaws pertaining to convergence probability, designer influence, and requisite rework. With these new understandings, designers can begin to make more well-informed decisions on how to efficiently approach their own design problem.

Publication
PRADS 2022