This paper focuses on analyzing design methods on product modularity. Through an experimental case, the paper shows that design knowledge is of vital importance to conduct modular design. Modular design is consequence of combining different types of uncertain structured functional knowledge. The paper shows that it is not only the functional knowledge structure that drives the modular design, but also the ability of the designer to gain new functional knowledge, and dynamically, what designer does with that functional knowledge.

Cloud-based design for configurations can be referred to as a service-oriented networked design for configurations model. However, cloud-based models also pose challenges such as reliability, availability, capability, ability, adaptability of resources, and services across spatial boundaries. Multi-scale design can presumably stimulate greater intelligence in cloud-based models. Using the concepts of the fuzzy holon and the fuzzy attractor, this paper proposes the fuzzy holonic approach to address multi-scale design for configurations. A fuzzy design holon is defined through two basic holons: fuzzy function holon and fuzzy solution holon. A fuzzy attractor is defined as a fuzzy function holon or fuzzy function solution toward which a design tends to evolve. The proposed fuzzy holon model is driven by two conflicting drives: (a) completeness of fuzzy function holons and fuzzy solution holons, and (b) discrimination of fuzzy function holons and fuzzy solution holons. Through simulations, four possible states of behavior of fuzzy holon design are found: (a) the impossibility state characterized by the impossibility of fuzzy holon creation; (b) the creation and destruction state sometimes characterized by the creation of fuzzy holons and sometimes the destruction of fuzzy holons, (c) the development state characterized by a natural creation and development of fuzzy holons and (d) the failure state characterized by the interruption of the development of the fuzzy design holon and the destruction of already created fuzzy design holon. The model explains that design is not an orderly and well behaved phenomenon. It shows that fuzzy holon design is a discontinuous phenomenon.Keywords Intelligent design · Cloud-based design and manufacturing · Cloud-based design for configuration · Multi scale design · Fuzzy holon design

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Sustainable development should offer a holistic way of resolution of many sharp objective conflicting goals in design. In thi s context, the que stion about the stability of models can be raised. T he design can be seen as a qualitative discontinuity phenomenon in a c ontinuous background. Understanding and controlling the discontinuity is therefore an important subject of the design research. Thi s paper uses the concepts of the holon and the attractor to analyze the discontinuity. A multi-scale design model is proposed. T he proposed multi-scale model is driven by two conflicting drives: (a) completeness of functions and design parameters and (b) discrimination of functions and design parameters. Completeness has been seen as the degree to which a function or a design parameter is recognized to be fully sati sfied in a holon. Discrimination can be seen as the degree to which a function (respectively design parameter) refuses to recognize design parameters of other holons. By employing creation of holons as an indicator of the holon's state, we attempt to learn how the holon's behaviour varies as function of completeness and discrimination. Thus two control parameters: (a) completeness of design parameters and (b) completeness of functions, have been defined. The behavior of the holon design defines the output. T hen, the discovered possible states of behavior of h olon design are: a) impossibility state characterized by the impossibility of holon creation; b) creation -destruction state characterized sometimes by the creation of holons and sometimes the destruction of holons; c) creation-development state characterized by natural creation and development of the holon. The model shows that design is not an orderly and well behaved phenomenon. Design is f ull of sudden transformations and unpre dictable divergences. T he task of modeling these problems and relating them to each other would be a challenging endea vor which requires more powerful theory.

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