Join Us Sign In

Knowledge Base Repository

In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.

How would engineers use LLMs for assembly search if they could? – An empirical study for fostering generative AI-driven design reuse in the future

Fastabend, Jonas (1); Agovic, Irfan (1); Roth, Daniel (1); Neumann, Roman (2); Hammer, Christoph (2); Kreimeyer, Matthias (1)

Type:
Papers
DS 145: Proceedings of the DESIGN2026 19th International Design Conference
Year:
2026
Editor:
Štorga, M.; Škec, S.; Martinec, T.; Marjanović, D.; Pavković, N.
Author:
Fastabend, Jonas (1); Agovic, Irfan (1); Roth, Daniel (1); Neumann, Roman (2); Hammer, Christoph (2); Kreimeyer, Matthias (1)
Series:
DESIGN
Institution:
1: University of Stuttgart, Germany; 2: Robert Bosch Manufacturing Solutions GmbH, Germany
Page(s):
2293-2302
DOI number:
10.1017/pds.2026.10587
ISSN:
2732-527X (Online)
Abstract:
This study examines how engineers formulate natural language prompts for searching existing assemblies in mechanical design. A survey with 48 engineers produced 169 prompts for different assemblies. Results show that prompts are mostly written as bullet points with an average of three and up to seven requirements. The engineers describe assemblies mainly through implicit functional descriptions and geometric or physical parameters. These findings form an empirical basis for developing generative AI-driven, prompt-based systems to foster design reuse.
Keywords:
design reuse, information retrieval, user-centred design, functional description, artificial intelligence (AI)
DESIGN2026 - The 19th International Design Conference
Conferences

This site uses cookies and other tracking technologies to assist with navigation and your ability to provide feedback, analyse your use of our products and services, assist with our promotional and marketing efforts, and provide content from third parties. Privacy Policy.

Cookie Settings Accept Cookies