Supporting traceability in conceptual design

The creation of a computer based representation of a conceptual design requires the availability of: (i) tools for the creation and manipulation of conceptual models; and (ii) an environment that will provide support for the design process. The SCIDS project (Safety Critical Integrated Design Support) addresses the latter of these requirements. The aim is to develop an integrated toolbench, which will provide design advice and evaluation of dependability, by capturing and responding to designers´ actions. Although the objective is to support the demanding requirements of safety critical systems design, the approach is also applicable to other areas of engineering or software design, and is relevant to design with cognitive artefacts. Rather than providing tools to assist conceptual modelling, the SCIDS approach provides an environment to support the traceability of the designer´s actions in creating conceptual designs, using such artefacts. As such, it may be seen as being complementary to design tools which provide primitives to create and manipulate cognitive artefacts or models. SCIDS aims to enable the capture of design intent and safety arguments, from the earliest stages of design, in order to enable early evaluation and analysis of design options