A Conceptual Framework for Value-driven Design and Systems Engineering

Value-driven design starts from the premise that a designer has preferences, which can be modeled in terms of value maximization. In this paper, we consider value maximization from three increasingly comprehensive perspectives: artifact-, process-, and organization-focused. Based on this framework, we then identify five characteristics of common design processes, and explain and justify these characteristics in terms of value maximization. Although the framework is based on normative decision theory, an important conclusion of the paper is that heuristics play a crucial role in design. The paper therefore ends with a reflection on the role of heuristics in design and systems engineering research.