Special Issue: User Needs and Preferences in Engineering Design

Abstract

Addressing user needs and preferences is critically important in developing innovative and successful engineered products and systems. The task is inherently challenging due to the heterogeneity of user needs and the difficulty of modeling human behavior. In addition, it remains a challenge to integrate user preferences with designer preferences in the process of engineering design. The past decade has seen a significant growth in userfocused design research that introduces principles from different domains, such as market research, economics, cognitive science, and social science. However, there is still a lack of integration of these methods, either qualitative or quantitative, for directly supporting engineering design decisions. It is, therefore, imperative to develop interdisciplinary design approaches to address “interfaceâ€‌ issues among different domains and engineering design, considering market demand, usage context, social behavior, environmental impact assessments, etc. Consequently, the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design calls for submissions for a special issue on addressing User Needs and Preferences in Engineering Design. Topics can include but are not limited to the following: