Design Process Overview

What drives design?

Design process has seven distinct phases The end goal
Product that customers WANT

 Clarifying objectives: Objectives tree

Aim: to clarify design objectives and sub-objectives, and the relationships between them. Establishing functions : Function analysis Aim: to establish the functions required, and the system boundary, of a new design. Setting requirements : Performance specification Aim: to make an accurate specification of the performance required of a design solution.

 Determining

: Quality function deployment characteristics Aim: to set targets to be achieved for the engineering characteristics of a product, such that they satisfy customer requirements. Generating alternatives : Morphological chart Aim : to generate the complete range of alternative design solutions for a product, and hence to widen search for potential new solution

 Evaluating

: Weighted objectives alternatives Aim: to compare the utility values of alternative design proposals, on the basis of performance against differentially weighted objectives. Improving details : Value engineering Aim: to increase or maintain the value of a product to its purchaser while reducing its cost to its producer.

Clarifying objectives
The starting point for a design is therefore very often an ill-

defined problem.
Yet the designer must have some objectives to work

towards.
The outcome of designing is a proposal for some means to

achieve a desired end. That end is the set of objectives that the designed object must meet.

Whats the Objective?

Objectives (or goals) are expressions of the desired

attributes and behaviors that the client wants to see in the product Objectives are Be words They are qualities the object should have
So, designers task is to uncover the objectives of a design

project

 An important first step in designing therefore is to try to

clarify the design objectives.

Objectives may change, expand , contract or be completely

altered as problem becomes better understood and as solution ideas develop.

Objective statements are in such a form that they are easily

understood by design team

The Objectives Tree Method

offers a clear and useful format for such a statement of

objectives. shows the objectives and the general means. diagrammatic form. How objectives are related to each other. hierarchical pattern of objectives and sub-objectives.
Make vague statements more specific by asking:
What is meant by that statement?

Other useful questions to ask when expanding and

clarifying design objectives:

Why? How? What?

Objectives Tree Method (2)

Three step procedure:

Prepare a list of design objectives

Order the list into sets of higher-level and lower-level objectives Draw a tree of objectives, showing hierarchical relationships and interconnections

Step 1: Listing the Objectives

This can be done by: Talking with (interviewing) your customer
Thoroughly reading any written design statements and

requirements
Brainstorming within your team

Take vague statements and make them clearer by asking

what is meant by this statement

 After the initial list is compiled, some things other than

objectives may have slipped in Constraints - restrictions or limitations on a behavior or some aspect of a design Functions - operations the design is supposed to do Implementations - ways to execute the functions
Check if each statement is an objective
Objectives are normally being statements

Try saying an objective is to be [statement] If it makes sense, then its most likely an objective Objectives can also be written as more (or less) of [the statement] is better than less (or more) of [the statement]

Step 1 Active Experimentation

An objective for a m/c tool that it must be safe, might be

expanded to low risk of injury to operator low risk of operator mistakes low risk of damage to work-piece or tool automatic cut-out on overload
'why do we want to achieve this objective?',

'how can we achieve it'?.' and 'what implicit objectives underlie the stated ones?' or 'what is the problem really about?'

 Step 2: Ordering the List

Group the statements into related topics using an

affinity diagram

Design

Objective

 Copy design objectives to post-it notes Place one on a board Compare next objective card to the first
If different, begin a new column

If similar intent, place under the first column

Repeat for all design objective cards Result: Objectives sorted by similar statement
Within each column there may be levels of objectives

Lower-level objectives answer the question How? Higher-level objectives answer the question Why? Transform to a hierarchical list of objectives

Example: SAFETY machine must be safe low risk of injury to operator low risk of operator mistakes low risk of damage to work-piece or tool automatic cut-out on overload 'low risk of injury' might be considered more important than 'low risk of mistakes', but all three low risk objectives can conveniently be grouped at about the same level.

The valuable aspect to sorting objectives roughly into levels is that it encourages you to think more clearly about the objectives and about the relationships between means and ends. As you write out your lists in hierarchical levels, you will probably also continue to expand them, as you think of further means to meet sub objectives to meet objectives, etc.

Step 3: Draw the Tree

From Step 2, you have a clustered set of objectives Notice that some of the objectives within a cluster may be more specific than others This implies a hierarchical nature to the objectives The hierarchy (general to more specific) can be

represented in a graphical structure known as an objectives tree

Step 3: Draw the Tree (2)

Consider the example objectives list and resulting tree

for the design of a safe ladder:

The ladder should be safe The ladder should be stable Stable on floors and smooth surfaces Stable on relatively level ground The ladder should be reasonably stiff The ladder should be marketable The ladder should be useful Useful indoors Useful for electrical work Useful for maintenance work Useful outdoors Be useful at the right height The ladder should be relatively inexpensive The ladder should be portable Be light weight Be small when ready for transport The ladder should be durable

Step 3: Draw the Tree (3)

The Objectives Tree diagram looks like an upside-

down tree
The overall objective of the tree is at the top
Underneath it, branches break the objective into

more detailed objectives Can have many levels and interconnections

As you move deeper into the hierarchy, the objectives answer the question how is the above objective met? As you move higher up in the hierarchy, the objectives answer the question why are the below objectives important?

Step 3: Draw the Tree (4)

The objectives tree

diagram may alternatively be drawn on its side Example: Car door

Summary :
Prepare a list of design objectives. These are taken from the design brief, from questions to the client, and from discussion in the design team. 2. Order the list into sets of higher-level and lower-level objectives. The expanded list of objectives and sub objectives is grouped roughly into hierarchical levels. 3. Draw a diagrammatic tree of objectives, showing hierarchical relationships and interconnections. The branches in the tree represent relationships which suggest means of achieving objectives.
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