Analyzing Product-Service Systems conceptual design: The effect of color-coded 3D representation

The paper presents the testing activity of a color-coded 3D visualization approach, developed to enhance the designers' awareness during the conceptual design of a Product Service System (PSS). Protocol analysis is applied to eight design sessions to compare the behavior of different design teams when featuring printouts of color-coded CAD models, instead of spreadsheets with numerical tables, as carrier of value-related information. The analysis focuses on the time spent on the different activities during the sessions, highlighting the problem solving strategies and the consideration of PSS related aspects. The analysis shows that design teams featuring printouts of color-coded CAD models made a more extensive use of information during problem analysis, following a more structured design process, than teams using spreadsheets.

► Conceptual design of product-service systems is analysed through protocol analysis studies.
► The effectiveness of providing printouts of colour-coded 3D CAD models for value communication is studied.
► Printouts of colour-coded 3D CAD models increase the use of value-related information.
► Printouts of colour-coded 3D CAD models reduce the jumping between activities in the design sessions.