Abstract
Engineering design is the process for generating a concept of useful artifact or product based on various kinds of scientific and engineering knowledge. In the early stages of design process, a designer dynamically, flexibly and reflectively builds a concept hierarchy in order to clarify problems and solutions of design. This paper proposes a system that supports reflective process of building a concept hierarchy. The DRIFT system is used to capture the reflective process. KJ method is integrated into this system in order to support smooth externalization of knowledge. A designer can evaluate externalized knowledge by QFD-based cost-worth analysis method. An example of a cellular phone design shows that these features promote a designer's reflection in building a concept hierarchy.
