Teaching Design William Oakes

Learning Objectives At the end of this session, you will be able to: 1.Describe design 2.List at least three steps in the EPICS design process 3.Explain why design is hard for students 4.Describe at least three characteristics of good designers

Many definitions of design… Design is art Design as problem solving Design activity as applying scientific knowledge Design is a social process in which individual object worlds interact, and design parameters are negotiated. Source: Dr. Robin Adams ENE 696G course notes

The Design Process Few Specifications Many Specifications Design Process Infinite Variety of Designs Most -----Least Influential Choices One Design Design is done by many disciplines =====>

EPICS Balance Service-learning is a balance of the learning of design and the service we contribute the communities through completed designs and support Service To our partners, meeting needs in the community Learning Becoming good designers, professionals & active citizens Complimentary goals that enhance each other

Learning Design Design is learned through experience oExperience making mistakes, good guesses and mistakes oExperience seeing implications of decisions Teachers act in a role of facilitators or coaches oMost of time spent facilitating design work and exploration oAllow students to experience their decisions and work in design

Different Problem Types Logical StoryDecision-Diagnosis-Design Making Solution AlgorithmicRule-Trouble-Case UsingshootingAnalysis Well-defined Ill-structured More abstract context Real-world Single, correct answer Multiple solutions Constrained Information Provided Many unknowns Source: Jonassen (2000). Toward a Design Theory of Problem Solving.

The Design Process Many formal models for the design process ME uses Ullman’s Model for Design oThe Mechanical Design Process, McGraw Hill, 1997, 2003 o6 steps Engineering Your Future o10 steps Different Companies use different models oThey use a process EPICS teaches a model that fits our community-based design

Curriculum Diagram Figure 1 (DRAFT skeleton): EPICS Design Model Exit 1: Problem Identification Rd. Exit 2: Specification Development Ave Road Exit 4: Detailed Design St. Exit 7: Retirement Rd.

Seeking and Selecting Each phase of the design process requires creative solutions and has a divergent component where ideas are sought and a convergent component where options are selected Diverge Seek Possibilities Converge Narrow Choices Problem Identification Specification Development Conceptual Design Converge Narrow Choices Converge Narrow Choices Diverge Seek Possibilities Diverge Seek Possibilities

Interactions with Stakeholders Prototypes/communications at all stages Human-Centered Design

Multiple Valid Solutions Examples: Cell phones and Computers

EPICS Design Process Six Phases 1.Problem Identification 2.Specification Development 3.Conceptual Design 4.Detailed Design 5.Production 6.Service/Maintenance 7.Redesign or retirement

Iteration and Test Generate Ideas Define Measurable Specifications Implement Test Go to next phase Generate Ideas Define Measurable Specifications Implement Test Back to previous phase

EPICS Design Process Six Phases 1.Problem Identification 2.Specification Development 3.Conceptual Design 4.Detailed Design 5.Production 6.Service/Maintenance 7.Redesign or retirement

Design Case Your team has been assigned to work with the local food pantry to improve their efficiency. oThe initial thought it to bring software tools to the organization

Problem Identification Tasks – oIdentify problem oDetermine project objectives oDetermine motivation for project oIdentify outcomes or deliverables oDetermine duration of the project oIdentify community partner contact Deliverables - Project Charter

Problem definition What activities would/could/should the students do in this design phase for our case? oWhat should/could they do with their partner? oWhat “tests” should be performed or milestones achieved?

Specification Development Tasks oComplete users and beneficiaries analysis oDefine the customer requirements oEvaluate design constraints oDevelop engineering specifications oCompare to benchmark products (prior art) oDetermine design targets

Specification Development Deliverables- oProject Specification Document Measureable specifications oMock-ups or rough prototypes to help narrow the specifications Interacting with the community partner oUser-centered, human-centered

Specification Development What activities would/could/should the students do in this design phase for our case? oWhat should/could they do with their partner? oWhat “tests” should be performed or milestones achieved?

Conceptual Design Task oComplete Functional Decomposition of project oComplete Decision Matrix of requirements oDefine how users will interact with project oInteracting with users and potential users Mock-ups and prototypes to test concepts oAnalyze/evaluate potential solutions Interacting with community partner (users) oChoose best solution(s)

Conceptual Design Deliverables- oProject Conceptual Design Report oSystems level design Details need to be designed oSketch/mock-up/prototype demonstrates concept

Conceptual Design What activities would/could/should the students do in this design phase for our case? oWhat should/could they do with their partner? oWhat “tests” should be performed or milestones achieved?

Detailed Design Tasks oComplete top down specification/ bottom-up implementation Define components and freeze interfaces Analysis/evaluation of project, sub-modules and/or components oMore detailed prototyping/proof-of-concept of project, sub-modules and/or components oField test prototype/get feedback from users oComplete DFMEA analysis of project oDetermine what user training is necessary

Detailed Design Deliverables oProject Detailed Design Report Full details of all parts Dimensions, sizes, all details Documentation of all parts oFull prototype version of project

Detailed Design What activities would/could/should the students do in this design phase for our case? oWhat should/could they do with their partner? oWhat “tests” should be performed or milestones achieved?

Production Phase Tasks oComplete production version of the project Ready for the field and to be use by people oComplete user manuals/training material oComplete delivery review Deliverables oDelivered project oProject Delivery Report oDelivery checklist oUser manuals

Production What activities would/could/should the students do in this design phase for our case? oWhat should/could they do with their partner? oWhat “tests” should be performed or milestones achieved?

Service/Maintenance Phase Tasks oEvaluate performance of fielded project oDetermine what resources are necessary to support and maintain the project Deliverables oFielded Project Report Redesign or Retirement Decisions

Service/Maintenance What activities would/could/should the students do in this design phase for our case? oWhat should/could they do with their partner? oWhat “tests” should be performed or milestones achieved?

Why is design difficult? Engages different types of thinking Requires designers to manage so many ideas and aspects Addresses different types of problems

Good design… Good designs involve diverse perspectives and expertise IDEO – industry leader in design and innovation oDesign thinking is a crucial business asset—one that can, indeed, move a company forward and improve the bottom line. To optimize this impact, (we) advise thoughtfully structuring the innovation process. They stress working on projects that improve people’s lives.. - Ryan Jacoby and Diego Rodriguez, Innovation, Growth, and Getting to Where You Want to Go, Design Management Review Vol. 18 No. 1

Curriculum activity