Coordinating Goals, Preferences, Options, and Analyses for the Stanford Living Laboratory Feasibility Study

This paper describes an initial application of Multi-Attribute Collective Decision Analysis for a Design Initiative (MACDADI) on the feasibility study of a mixed-use facility. First, observations of the difficulties the design team experienced communicating their goals, preferences, options, and analyses are presented. Next, the paper describes a formal intervention by the authors, integrating survey, interview, and analytic methods. The project team collected, synthesized, and hierarchically organized their goals; stakeholders’ established their relative preferences with respect to these goals; the design team formally rated the design options with respect to the goals; the project team then visualized and assessed the goals, options, preferences, and analyses to assist in a transparent and formal decision making process. A discussion of some of the strengths and weaknesses of the MACDADI process is presented and opportunities for future improvement are identified.