1. Design Project Management
Design Project Managers
Identify tasks
Make and update plans
Sequence tasks
Allocate time
Allocate People and Resources
Monitor and report progress

2. Six Steps in Project Planning
Step-I: Identify tasks
Step-II: State task objectives and outcomes
Step-III: Estimate time and personnel
Hofstadter’s law: “It always takes longer than you expect even if you take Hofstadter’s law into account”.
Who is involved, and how long it takes

3. Planning Step-IV: Develop a sequence for the tasks
Easiest method is a Gantt chart
Step-V: Estimate costs, times, resources
Step-VI: Evaluate and manage Risks

4. Tasks What is a Task? (in the context of design project)
An activity that produces a specific result useful to project progress. Do not include
The means of accomplishing tasks.
Tasks unrelated to the project.
Tasks with no specific outcomes or deadlines
Anything that is not clearly defined

5. Tasks Not tasks Tasks Arranging a meeting (means)
Having a meeting to discuss concepts (means)
Picking up pizza for the meeting (unrelated to project)
Research shock absorbers (Vague - no specific outcome)
Tasks
Developing pros and cons for 3 concepts
Evaluating and selecting the best concept
Picking up shock absorbers from shop
Creating a list of 3 shock absorber technologies

6. Tasks Task clarification activity TASK Information Needed to Complete
Clearly Defined Deliverables
Means to Accomplish

7. Project Planning Chart
Task-1
Task-2
Task-3
Task-4
Task-5
Task-6
Jan-1
Feb-1
Mar-1 …
Cory
10 hrs
Jade / Matt
15 hrs
20 hrs
Oliver
4 hrs
8 hrs
Manufactg
5 hrs
0 hrs

8. Master Plan
Every design project has a master plan with the main design process tasks*:
Product Design Specifications
External Search
Internal Search
Concept Evaluation and Selection
Detail Design
Prototyping and Testing
Documentation
* You can add “Project Plan” as the first step of the design process

9. Master Plan Often some other milestones are added to the master plan
Product Design Specifications
PDS Design Review and Report ( )
External Search
Internal Search
Concept Evaluation and Selection
Final Concept Design Review and Report ( )
Detail Design
Prototyping and Testing
1st Prototype test and evaluation ( )
Design Review and Prototype Evaluation Review ( )
Documentation

10. Master Plan Gantt Chart
PDS
External Search
Internal Search
Evaluation
Detail Design
Prototype
Jan-1
Feb-1
Mar-1
Apr-1
Team
100 hrs
Total

11. Lower-Level Plans PDS-related Tasks Customer identification
Customer interviews
Development of PDS criteria and priorities
Defining engineering specifications (metrics)
Benchmarking and target selection
Developing HoQ
Writing the PDS Report
Reviewing the PDS Report
Modifying PDS Report based on sponsor feedback

12. Customer Identification
PDS Gantt Chart
Customer Identification
Customer interviews
Development of PDS criteria and priorities
Defining engineering metrics
Jan-1
Jan-7
Jan-14
Jan-21
Totals
Donald 4 6 3 19
Neal 13
Lee 2 8 17 10 20 9

13. TASK Lists
Tasks are defined by the team and usually include at least the following 5Ws:
What is the task
Who is going to do it
By When
In What format the results are to be reported
Why

14. Task Lists Task list also includes: How it is done How it is paid for
Who can assist with the task
Risk Assessment (What if scenarios)