Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-dfsvx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T12:19:36.541Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Strategic style change using grammar transformations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2016

Sumbul Khan*
Affiliation:
Architecture and Sustainable Design, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore
Scott C. Chase
Affiliation:
Faculty of Engineering, Flexible Learning Centre, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
*
Reprint requests to: Sumbul Khan, 3.301-11, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, Singapore487372. E-mail: sumbul_khan@sutd.edu.sg

Abstract

New styles can be created by modifying existing ones. In order to formalize style change using grammars, style has to be formally defined in the design language of a grammar. Previous studies in the use of grammars for style change do not give explicit rationale for transformation. How would designers decide which rules to modify in a grammar to generate necessary changes in style(s) of designs? This paper addresses the aforementioned issues by presenting a framework for strategic style change using goal-driven grammar transformations. The framework employs a style description scheme constructed by describing the aesthetic qualities of grammar elements using adjectival descriptors. We present techniques for the formal definition of style in the designs generated by grammars. The utility of the grammar transformation framework and the style description scheme is tested with an example of mobile phone design. Analyses reveal that constraining rules in grammars is a valid technique for generating designs with a dominance of desired adjectival descriptors, thus aiding in strategic style change.

Type
Regular Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Ackerman, J.S. (1963). Style. In Art and Archeology (Ackerman, J.S., & Carpenter, R., Eds.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice–Hall.Google Scholar
Agarwal, M., Cagan, J., & Constantine, K.G. (1999). Influencing generative design through continuous evaluation: associating costs with the coffeemaker shape grammar. Artificial Intelligence For Engineering, Design Analysis and Manufacturing 13(4), 253275.Google Scholar
Ahmad, S. (2009). A framework for strategic style change using goal driven grammar transformations. PhD Thesis. University of Strathclyde.Google Scholar
Ahmad, S., & Chase, S.C. (2012). Style representation in design grammars. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design 39(3), 486500.Google Scholar
Al-kazzaz, D., & Bridges, A.H. (2012). A framework for adaptation in shape grammars. Design Studies 33(4), 342356.Google Scholar
Baxter, M. (1995). Product Design: A Practical Guide to Systematic Methods of New Product Development. London: Chapman & Hall.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beirão, J.N., Duarte, J.P., & Stouffs, R. (2011). Creating specific grammars with generic grammars: towards flexible urban design. Nexus Network Journal 13(1), 73111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chase, S.C., & Liew, P. (2001). A systematic method for redesign: using function, behaviour and structure to facilitate grammar transformation. Architectural Information Management: Proc. 19th Conf. Education in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe, eCAADe19. Espoo, Finland: Otamedia Oy.Google Scholar
Chen, K., & Owen, C.L. (1997). Form language and style description. Design Studies 18(3), 249274.Google Scholar
Chen, X., McKay, A., De Pennington, A., & Chau, H.H. (2009). Translating brand essence into product form: a case study in shape computation. Journal of Design Research 8(1), 42.Google Scholar
Ching, F. (1996). Architecture, Form, Space & Order. New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Colakoglu, B. (2005). Design by grammar: an interpretation and generation of vernacular hayat houses in contemporary context. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design 32(1), 141149.Google Scholar
Ding, L., & Gero, J.S. (2001). The emergence of the representation of style in design. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design 28(5), 707731.Google Scholar
Dondis, D.A. (1975). A Primer of Visual Literacy. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Duarte, J.P. (2005). Towards the mass customization of housing: the grammar of Siza's houses at Malagueira. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design 32(3), 347380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eloy, S., & Duarte, J.P. (2011). A transformation grammar for housing rehabilitation. Nexus Network Journal 13(1), 4971.Google Scholar
Emdanat, S.S., & Vakalo, E.G. (1997). Shape grammars: an assessment of their utility in architecture. Proc. 2nd Conf. Computer Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia, CAADRIA ‘97. Hsintsu, Taiwan: National Chiao-Tung University.Google Scholar
Holgate, A. (1992). Aesthetics of Built Form. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Knight, T. (1980). The generation of Hepplewhite-style chair-back designs. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design 7(2), 227238.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knight, T. (1981). Languages of designs: from known to new. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design 8(2), 213238.Google Scholar
Knight, T. (1994). Transformations in Design: A Formal Approach to Stylistic Change and Innovation in the Visual Arts. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Knight, T. (1999). Shape grammars: five questions. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design 26(4), 477501.Google Scholar
Li, A. (2011). Computing style. Nexus Network Journal 13(1), 183193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCormack, J.P., Cagan, J., & Vogel, C.M. (2004). Speaking the Buick language: capturing, understanding, and exploring brand identity with-shape grammars. Design Studies 25(1), 129.Google Scholar
Ngo, D.C.L., Samsudin, A., & Abdullah, R. (2000). Aesthetic measures for assessing graphic screens. Journal of Information Science and Engineering 16(1), 97116.Google Scholar
Oppenheim, A.N. (1992). Questionnaire Design, Interviewing and Attitude Measurement. London: Bloomsbury Academic.Google Scholar
Osgood, C.E., & Suci, G.J. (1969). The measurement of meaning. In Semantic Differential Technique: A Sourcebook (Snider, J.G., & Osgood, C.E., Eds.), pp. 5682. Chicago: Aldine.Google Scholar
Schapiro, M. (1961). Style. In Aesthetics Today (Philipson, M., & Gudel, P.J., Eds.), pp 137171. New York: New American Library.Google Scholar
Simon, H.A. (1975). Style in design. In Spatial Synthesis in Computer Aided Building Design (Eastman, C.M., Ed.), pp. 287309. London: Applied Science.Google Scholar
Stiny, G. (1981). A note on the description of designs. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design 8(3), 257267.Google Scholar
Stiny, G. (1982). Shapes are individuals. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design 9(3), 359367.Google Scholar
Stiny, G. (2006). Shape: Talking About Seeing and Doing. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Stiny, G., & Mitchell, W.J. (1978). The Palladian grammar. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design 5(1), 518.Google Scholar