| Abstract |
| The most outstanding feature of digital times, which are based on information-oriented society, is that information is recognized as the most profitable resources and the society develops along with value production by the processing of information. Network, an information transfer means，has brought more emphasis on software rather than on hardware. Furthermore, the development of communication network-connected technology has become the most important conditions for the production and distribution of information. As it has been regarded most competitive to create and deliver information, a product had to be focused on following software development in order to perform a role as a media to the creation of information or communication. Traditional product development trend, which was to search for a man`s convenience and material satisfaction as the ultimate goal, has been redirected to create everyday life`s value. Digital times, which had been introduced along with information-oriented society, were established as a keyword for aforementioned changed product development trend, based on new technology. Convergence design is emerging as a new direction for digital times. Convergence, suggested by Ubiquitous, combines various value factors and creates a new value factor. It also has a great influence on product development trend of digital times. It was possible to develop products through hardware progress, called as digital revolution and such a tendency came to impose a new challenge on designers. In other words, convergence design began to appear as an alternative for searching for changes and new product evolution paradigm. Even though it is true that you could find some multi-functional products in those times when single functional products were mainly distributed, these multi-products were mainly stressed to appeal as multi-functional products, rather than as functionally mutual relationship. Variability in a product should be focused on how to be recognized to customers and what kind of usefulness to offer, beyond the level of simply changeable-function and shape. The conception of variability has been used so far only in building or furniture design, where mechanical mechanism is not required. In terms of products, it has been utilized in some fashion trends, where various or modular shape creation is comparatively easy and no complex mechanism is needed. Especially, in case of electric products, it has been used in very limited area. However, it is time to proceed with the research for new direction set-up or development method application because a product image is changing these days as a multi-functional combination. This research started from a purpose to search for a method, which can respond and lead a newly unfolded product development direction in information-oriented society. In other words, this researches performed to clarify the introduction of product variability as a method for multiplicity, in order to introduce convergence design, a new revolution of product evolution under digital renovation. Therefore，main contents of this research are about distinguishing and combining all the factors related to the reasonable and effective introduction of variable design in product development process. The ultimate purpose is to systemize the combination of all selection-classification- evaluation-application methods as a model for the necessary elements of variable design based on the examination of functional and morphological features included in product system. |
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| Key Words |
| Convergence design, Variable design |
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