Co-evolution as a computational and cognitive model of design

• DOI: 10.1007/s00163-002-0016-y
• Publication Date: 2016-11-07T01:02:39Z
• Authors: Mary Maher; Hsien-Hui Tang
• Keywords: 0211 other engineering and technologies; 02 engineering and technology

Co-evolutionary design has been developed as a computational model that assumes two parallel search spaces: the problem space and the solution space. The design process iteratively searches each space using the other space as the basis for a fitness function when evaluating the alternatives. Co-evolutionary design can also be developed as a cognitive model of design by characterizing the way in which designers iteratively search for a design solution, making revisions to the problem specification. This paper presents the computational model of co-evolutionary design and then describes a protocol study of human designers looking for evidence of co-evolution of problem specifications and design solutions. The study shows that co-evolutionary design is a good cognitive model of design and highlights the similarities and differences between the computational model and the cognitive model. The results show that the two kinds of co-evolutionary design complement each other, having strengths in different aspects of the design process.