1. Chapter 2
The Process of Design

2. Introduction Design Design goals Process of planned change
Logical problem-solving technique
Design goals
Achieve desired effects
Minimize undesired effects
Control risk

3. Polya’s Four Steps to Effective Problem Solving
Understand the problem
Make a plan
Carry out the plan
Look back on the plan
How could it have been better?

4. Planning Design process is a plan List, order, and prioritize items
Plans can vary from simple to complex
Design what you are going to wear today
Design a space station and place into orbit

6. Order Design steps placed into a sequential process
Polya’s steps are carried out in same order every time
Nonsequential process
Designers jump backward and forward between steps:
To more effectively develop a solution

7. Iteration Repetition Goal: to improve
May repeat entire design process or subsets of the process steps
Iteration should lead to convergence
Shows project is getting close to its goals

8. Iteration (cont’d.) Design examples Surgical robot
Seat for a commercial airliner

9. Managing a Project All projects contain risk
Low risk challenge is easy to accomplish
High risk is difficult to accomplish
Keys to managing project risk
Identifying roadblocks
Work on what removes the most risk first

10. Design Process 12-step model
Figure 2-7 (see text) shows recommended order for the steps
Some steps loop back to other steps

11. Defining the Problem Identify and define the problem
Try to understand it as completely as possible
Understand the limitations of the problem
Example: FIRST robot competition
Choice to design an autonomous robot
Calculate potential scoring advantage
Determine if team has necessary expertise

12. Brainstorming Each team member contributes ideas to generate solutions
Important to remain nonjudgmental of ideas
Encourage all ideas
Do not overanalyze ideas
Team leader (facilitator) runs the meeting

13. Researching and Generating Ideas
Find previously used concepts
Apply and modify to new situation
Reverse engineering
Sources of information
Library, Internet, previous project documents

14. Researching and Generating Ideas (cont’d.)
Separate needs into four categories
Must have
Strongly desired
Marginally desired
Not desired

16. Identifying Criteria and Specifying Constraints
Detail what you intend to do
Identify imposed limitations
Example: new SUV features
Study information and make key decisions
Write a design brief

18. Exploring Possibilities
Explore all possible solutions
Consider:
Technologies
Materials
Design
Fabrication processes
Work out alternative solutions

19. Exploring Possibilities (cont’d.)
Engineering notebook
Used to record ideas, calculations, results
Serves as clear evidence of patentable ideas
Focus on the critical areas
Example: SUV design
How to achieve both 45 mpg and four-wheel drive criteria

20. Selecting an Approach Down-select from the available options
Assess
Choose design path
Or more than one design path if resources allow
Strategies for choosing an approach
List good and bad attributes
Prepare a decision matrix
Scoring (weighting) system

21. Developing a Design Proposal
Prepare documents suitable for creating a prototype
Can include drawings, text, and other items
Must be clear and legible
Specify materials, dimensions, and processes
Example: FIRST robot
Need to select which type of aluminum to use

22. Making a Model or Prototype
Construct model or prototype
Model is less advanced than a prototype
Prototype closer to form, fit, function of final design
Example: FIRST robotics design team
Wooden model of the main robot frame
Helped determine how components will fit

23. Testing and Evaluating
Use the model to evaluate how design meets criteria
Choose test conditions
Determine what aspects to test
Prepare test plan
Gather test data
Summarize results

24. Refining the Design Identify areas not meeting criteria
Redesign or “tweak” design to improve
Redesign step often included in the design schedule
Determine which steps in design process to repeat

25. Creating or Making Fabrication of the design Mass production
May require specialized tools and materials
Mass production
Rapid fabrication of multiple copies of a product
Custom manufacturing
Much smaller quantities than mass production

26. Communicating Process and Results
Final design document can include:
Slide presentation
Technical reports
Detailed design drawings
Sketches
Charts, graphs, calculations

27. Communicating Process and Results (cont’d.)
Additional design communication
Pertains to marketing, distribution, and sale of the product
Patents

28. Creativity and Innovation in the Design Process
Design takes substantial time and resources
Five of the 12 steps call for innovation
The rest keep the design team focused on the problem

29. Design Limitations Clearly defining limitations
Accurately describes problems
Known as criteria, constraints, specifications, or requirements
Example: Robot competition entry fee and travel costs neglected