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Shared memory in design: A unifying theme for research and practice

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Abstract

This paper presents a new unifying theme for design theory by emphasizing the importance of context. We arrive at our conclusions by examining and then criticizing the legitimacy of universal methods in design upon which the critical importance of context emerges. The collaborative aspects of design focuses attention on the conception of shared meaning. We introduce and elaborate the concept of shared memory as the embodiment both of context and of shared meaning. Using the concept of shared memory in vertical and horizontal forms, within and between disciplines, respectively, we both account for past observations of design in practice and recommend actions to improve design in the future. We examine several practical implications of the growing importance of shared memory in industrial firms and for design teams. We then consider and recommend specific research programs which will help designers capture and make better use of this critical resource.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

    Suresh Konda

  2. Laboratory for Computational Linguistics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

    Ira Monarch

  3. Engineering Design Center, Cambridge University, UK

    Philip Sargent

  4. Engineering Design Research Center, Carnegie Mellon University, 15213, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Eswaran Subrahmanian

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  1. Suresh Konda
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  2. Ira Monarch
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  4. Eswaran Subrahmanian
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Konda, S., Monarch, I., Sargent, P. et al. Shared memory in design: A unifying theme for research and practice. Research in Engineering Design 4, 23–42 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02032390

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