Functional representation as design rationale

The functional representation (FR) framework, which captures the causal component of a design rationale (DR), is described. FR encodes the designer´s account of the causal processes in the device that culminate in achieving its function. The representation makes explicit the components´ roles in the causal process. The limitations of FR as a design rationale and the limitations of the current repertoire of representational primitives in FR for capturing the causal component are discussed.<>