From: dave@aifh.ed.ac.uk
Newsgroups: comp.ai,sci.psychology,comp.ai.edu,comp.ai.neural-nets
Subject: CFP for Workshop in conjunction with AID'92
Date: 8 Apr 92 12:55:16 GMT
Reply-To: dave@aifh.ed.ac.uk ()
Organization: Dept AI, Edinburgh University, Scotland

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ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS
 
Workshop on SEARCH-BASED AND EXPLORATION-BASED MODELS OF DESIGN PROCESS
 
to be held in conjunction with:
 
THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN DESIGN
22-25 June 1992,
Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA.
 
 
SUMMARY:
 
The ability to design, to solve design problems, is a kind of intelligent
behaviour.  Understanding how design problems are solved, in other words,
understanding the design process, presents AI research with one of its
greatest challenges.
 
Central to the various attempts within AI to investigate design problem
solving are the ways in which the design process has come to be modelled. As
with all models, these try to capture the essential characteristics of design
problems and their solution.  To be successful a model of design process needs
to be able to pick out from all the kinds of problems, those that are to be
properly classed as deign problems.  If it can go further and organise those
that are identified as design problems into undertsandable and coherent
sub-classes, then it is considered to be more useful.
 
The aim of this workshop is to generate an effective discussion about design
problem solving in general and, in particular, to try to seek agreement on
some essential characteristics that can be used to identify and classify
design problems and their solution.  To do this two existing models of the
design process will be presented: an exploration-based model of design
process, and a search-based model of design process.  The purpose of
presenting these two aparently different models is to try to indentify and to
clarify what are real differences between them arising from fundamentally
different chartacterisations of design problems, and what are only apparent
differences arising from terminological differences and usages.  The focus on
the exploration-based and search-based models of design process is not
intended to be to the exclusion of other kinds of models, but to act as a
starting point and a common reference for the discussion.  People attending
the workshop will be encouraged to introduce other models and
characterisations in order to pursue the discussion.
 
It is intended that the outcome of the workshop will include a summary of the
discussion and the main points of agreement and disagreement that emerge.
This summary, together with the position papers presented at the workshop and
the position statements of the participants, would form the basis of a
workshop report and possibly a subsequent journal paper.
 
 
ORGANISATION:
 
The workshop will begin with the presentation of two invited position papers
outlining respectively the case for a search-based view of design and the case
for an exploration-based view.  This would then be followed by a discussion
period involving the other participants in the workshop.  It is intended that
both presentations will use a common set of illustrative examples, chosen so
that they can support the subsequent dicussion without demarnding particular 
or extensive background knowledge.  The opening presentations will be limited 
to a maximum of 30 minutes each and will aim to set the context for the 
ensuing discussion period.
 
The number of participants will be limited to about 20 people.  Participation
will be on the basis of selected position statements (maximum length 1000
words) submitted to and reviewed by the organising committee.  The position
papers will be circulated to participants before the workshop, together with
the two opening statements.
 
 
FORMAT FOR SUBMISSIONS:
 
In preparing a submission (of no more than 1,000 words) authors are requested
to present clearly argued statements of what they think are essential
characteristics of design problem and of the methods that can be used to solve
them, or to present clearly argued criticisms of existing design process
models to be found in the AI literature.
 
 
REGISTRATION and SUBMISSION:
 
The workshop registration fee, to be paid by all participants, is $50.
All registrants must also register for the main conference. Submissions
may be in hard copy, but emailed submissions are preferred. All submissions
must arrive by May 15th, and we will notify authors of selected submissions
no later than June 2nd. A preprint comprising both opening statements and the
accepted position statements will be sent to each participant by June 12th.
Submissions and general enquiries should normally be sent to:
 
  D.Corne,
  Department of Artificial Intelligence,
  University of Edinburgh,
  5 Forrest Hill, Edinburgh EH1 2QL,UK
  Email: dave@aifh.ed.ac.uk
  FAX: +44--31--225 9370
 
Between May 15th and May 22nd, general enquiries should be sent to :

  Dr B.Logan
  Department of Artificial Intelligence,
  University of Edinburgh,
  5 Forrest Hill, Edinburgh EH1 2QL, UK
  Email: brian@aifh.ed.ac.uk
  FAX: +44--31--225 9370

REFERENCES

 Interested parties may find the following references useful, which
respectively introduce search-based models of design (Simon), and 
exploration-based models of design (Smithers & Troxell):

  Herbert Simon, 1970, "The Sciences of the Artificial", Chapter Five: The
  Science of Design; MIT Press.

  Tim Smithers and Wade O. Troxell, 1990, "Design is Intelligent Behaviour,
  But's What's the Formalism", Artificial Intelligence in Engineering Design,
  Analysis, and Manufacturing (AI EDAM) Journal, Vol 2, No 4, pp 89--98.
 
ORGANISING COMMITTEE:
 
D.Corne : University of Edinburgh, UK
          dave@aifh.ed.ac.uk
B.Logan : University of Edinburgh, UK
          brian@aifh.ed.ac.uk
T.Smithers : Free University of Brussels, Belgium
             tim@arti1.vub.ac.be
D.Steier : Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa
           steier@edrc.cmu.edu
 
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