Output details

The use of design visualisation methods to support decision making

This double-blind reviewed conference paper illustrates how design visualisation methods are used to support decision making in a management context. The research imperative was to investigate how useful the various design visualisation tools are in supporting decision-making processes in order to inform the future use of design visualisation tools applied within a business management context. The research was based on two KTP case studies running concurrently in an engineering SME company. This paper purposefully makes a distinction between visualisation methods commonly used in management and design specific visualisation methods normally used in a design process.

The research process involved the evaluation of 13 visualisation methods using a recognised conceptual framework for strategy visualisation to categorise, analyse and evaluate the range of methods used before focusing on 4 design related methods (personas, competitor analysis, mood boards and business canvas exercise). Although the importance of visual representation to support decision-making has been emphasised and explored before, the originality of the research is in understanding the value of design specific methods used in conjunction with other more established visualisation methods. When used in tandem with other more traditional visualisation methods, design visualisation methods have been shown to add significantly to the cognitive, social and emotional benefits during the decision making process in the case studies presented. The research offered an objective evaluation on the value and role of design visualisation methods in a decision making context.