Integrating design tools into the design process

There are two almost orthogonal aspects that need to be considered when looking at the use of design tools by the profession, the integration of the design tools "around" the product being designed and the integration of the tools "into" the process using them. In the building design field, the "Product" aspect of this has received much more attention than the "process" aspects. However, in the business arena, Process Support is the latest "hot topic" and is spawning lots of new systems. This paper looks at the current state of some of the outstanding problems in both areas, and stresses the potential benefits to be gained from a more serious consideration of the process dimension when developing an integrated design support environments.