ACCEPTING AMBIGUITY OF ENGINEERING FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTIONS
Year: 2011
Editor: Culley, S.J.; Hicks, B.J.; McAloone, T.C.; Howard, T.J. & Reich, Y.
Author: Vermaas, Pieter
Series: ICED
Section: Design Theory and Research Methodology
Page(s): 98-107
Abstract
In this paper I consider four approaches to the ambiguity of engineering functional descriptions, and explore arguments for accepting this ambiguity. The first and second approach aim at resolving the ambiguity by finding or imposing a single precise meaning for function. These approaches lead to consensus on the content of functional descriptions and to their unconditional interoperability. Yet, these approaches counter the current engineering practice to use different meanings of function side-by-side. The third and fourth approach stay close to this engineering practice and accept the co-existing meanings of functions; in the third a single overarching meaning is still posited, and in the fourth function is taken as a Wittgensteinian family resemblance concept. It is described how having the co-existing meanings allows engineers to use different design methods. It is argued that the meaning of function then depends on the task for with functional descriptions are used. And it is proposed that functional descriptions have the methodological role in common to relate goal descriptions of devices with structural descriptions in a general and interdisciplinary way.
Keywords: FUNCTIONS IN ENGINEERING; DESIGN METHODS; COMMUNICATION; ARCHIVING; AMBIGUITY