A Solution to the Back and Forth Problem in the Design Space Forming Process: A Method to Convert Time Issue to Space Issue

This paper discusses a method for converting time issue into space issue in the design process. During the design process, we often determine something that can be evaluated only after the design process has proceeded for a while. However, in some cases, this kind of a problem (the back and forth problem) can be converted into a spatial problem. In this paper, the author approaches the design space forming process in which the function is decomposed, as an example of the back and forth problem, by extending our previous mathematical discussion and using computer simulation. The author shows that conserving the similarity between the space for the required function description and the space for the decomposed function description is a key to solve the back and forth problem. This result indicates that forming an appropriate space for the decomposed functions for searching the design solution in an efficient manner is replaced by the criterion of similarity conservation. In other words, it is possible to analyse the back and forth problem in the design process by converting it into a spatial problem.