ViDA: developing a visualization system for a Design-Fabrication-Assembly (D-F-A) process

Most designs, especially architecture and product design, involve the collective efforts of multiple disciplinary teams. These kinds of designs encounter many problems because of the need to implement various experimental interactive installations as well as utilize innovative design methods and processes. According to the traditional process, these surfaces also require tailor-made construction processes in fabrication and assembly in order to test a proposed prototype. However, as component-based installation requires many people assisting with the assembly phase, team members require a dynamic process called Design-Fabrication-Assembly (DFA) to understand the method and process of the whole project. However allowing team members to participate in and understand the project is a problem for a novice design fabrication team. We propose a visualization system called Visualization System of DFA (ViDA) and refine the DFA process according to the problem encountered, where a large experimental interactive installation needs to be implemented. We also describe in detail three experiments, two projects, and two design models of communication media for a component-based installation to help the design team fabricate and assemble the prototype. The ViDA is evaluated by reflecting on the initial three experiments and reifying the two projects (i.e., the prototyping process). Results of the ViDA redesign and user analysis show that the visualization system meets the short-term time cost feature of prototyping and provides an effective way to collaborate with team members, including allowing multiple disciplinary groups with different knowledge to work together.