Design Process in Seven Steps Why have a

Design Process in Seven Steps

Why have a process? �Design can become overwhelming. Often a design is taken off course in the wrong direction. This results in a poor design or complete failure. �Make a plan and stick to the plan! �Good project management needs direction and a constant review. �A design process allows for design management with checks and balance.

Selecting a process �No single design process is proven to work with all projects. �It is important to develop a process that matches the type of product or market served. �Successful organizations tend to develop a process that will improve product development and match the needs and ability of the organization.

Seven Step Design Process � 1. Define the problem � 2. Research � 3. Generate multiple solutions � 4. Prototype � 5. Design revision � 6. Design validation � 7. Production

Seven Step Design Process � 1. Define the problem �Understanding the problem or goal of a design is the most important task. �Define design needs and design constraints. �Define what needs to be accomplished through design.

Seven Step Design Process � 1. Define the problem � 2. Research � 3. Generate multiple solutions � 4. Prototype � 5. Design revision � 6. Design validation � 7. Production

Seven Step Design Process � 1. Define the problem � 2. Research � 3. Generate multiple solutions � 4. Prototype � 5. Design revision � 6. Design validation � 7. Production

Seven Step Design Process � 2. Research �After defining the problem, the designer must do research to learn about other related technologies or designs. �Insure that you are not trying to reinvent the wheel! �Learn from other successful designers.

Seven Step Design Process � 3. Generate multiple solutions �Define multiple ways to solve the problem. The more methods to solve the design problem will allow the designer to pick the best options. �A good method is to define seven or more solutions and choose the best one or two. �This is know as the “best of seven” method.

Seven Step Design Process � 4. Prototype �Build a prototype of the design. This will allow the designer to test the design concept and determine areas for design improvement. A good prototype will expose areas for improvement. �Now is a good time to confirm that design constraints are being considered and review the over all project.

Seven Step Design Process � 5. Design revision �Revise the design and improve the prototype until the defined problem is solved. �Repeating the prototyping step multiple times maybe required to solve the defined problem.

Seven Step Design Process � 6. Design validation �Test the design for both function and failure. �Function: How well does the design work and does it truly solve the defined problem? �Failure: When and how does this design fail? This step is important for product quality. If the product effects human safety, this step is used to ensure that the product will not harm humans. Place the product in service and test it.

Seven Step Design Process � 7. Production �The design is complete and tested successfully. �The product is ready for production. �Product marketing should be highly considered at this stage of product development. �Patent the product? ? ?