The document discusses the design process and provides examples of design processes that involve identifying problems, brainstorming solutions, developing and testing prototypes, and refining the design. It outlines a 12-step design process used by Project Lead the Way that involves defining problems, researching solutions, developing and testing prototypes, and communicating results. Several design processes from different technical fields and publications are also presented and compared.

1. Design Process
Overview
(Material developed by Project Lead the Way)

2. What is Design?
The word “design” is often used as a
generic term that refers to anything that
was made by a conscious human effort.
Design is also a process that is used to
systematically solve problems.

3. A design process is a systematic
problem-solving strategy, with criteria
and constraints, used to develop
many possible solutions to solve or
satisfy human needs or wants and to
narrow down the possible solutions to
one final choice.
– ITEA Standards for Technological Literacy
What is a Design Process?

4. There are several design processes
used in the different technical fields.
The following are examples.
Design Process

5. 1. Identifying problems and
opportunities
2. Framing a design brief
3. Investigation and research
4. Generating alternative solutions
5. Choosing a solution
6. Developmental work
7. Modeling and prototyping
8. Testing and evaluating
9. Redesigning and improving
– Design and Problem Solving in Technology
Example Design Process

6. 1. Identify the need
2. Define the criteria
3. Explore/research/investigate
4. Generate alternate solutions
5. Choose a solution
6. Develop the solution
7. Model/prototype
8. Test and evaluate
9. Redesign and improve
– Engineering Drawing and Design (3rd edition)
Example Design Process

7. The following is the design process
used for this course.
The Adopted Design
Process for PLTW courses

8. 1. Define a Problem
2. Brainstorm
3. Research and Generate Ideas
4. Identify Criteria and Specify
Constraints
5. Explore Possibilities
6. Select an Approach
7. Develop a Design Proposal
8. Make a Model or Prototype
9. Test and Evaluate the Design using
Specifications
10. Refine the Design
11. Create or Make Solution
12. Communicate Processes and Results
Example Design Process
– ITEA Standards for Technological Literacy

9. 1. Define a Problem
• Receive a problem to solve from the
client.
• Gather information.
• Be inspired through media exposure of a
current problem and take action.

10. 2. Brainstorm
• A group problem-solving process in which each
person in the group presents ideas in an open
forum.
• Generate and record ideas.
• Keep the mind alert through rapidly paced
sessions.
• Develop preliminary ideas.

11. 3. Research and Generate Ideas
• Conduct interviews with those affected by the
problem.
• Research solutions that may already exist;
identify shortcomings and reasons why they
aren’t appropriate to a given situation.
• Compile ideas and report findings to the team.

12. 4. Identify Criteria and Specify
Constraints
• Identify what the solution should do and the
degree to which the solution will be pursued.
• Identify constraints (i.e., budget and time are
typical considerations).
• Draft the Design Brief.

13. 5. Explore Possibilities
• Consider further development of
brainstorming ideas with constraints and
tradeoffs.
• Explore alternative ideas based on further
knowledge and technologies.

14. 6. Select an Approach
• Review brainstormed information and answer
any lingering questions.
• Narrow ideas down through a voting process, or
by use of a decision matrix.
• Decide on final idea, usually through group
consensus.

15. 7. Develop a Design Proposal
• Explore the idea in greater detail with annotated
sketches.
• Make critical decisions such as material types
and manufacturing methods.
• Generate through computer models detailed
sketches to further refine the idea.
• Produce working drawings so the idea can be
built.

16. 8. Make a Model or Prototype
• Make models to help communicate the idea, and
study aspects such as shape, form, fit, or
texture.
• Construct a prototype from the working
drawings, so the solution can be tested.

17. 9. Test and Evaluate the
Design using Specifications
• Design experiments and test the prototype in
controlled and working environments.
• Gather performance data; analyze and check
results against established criteria.
• Conduct a formal critique to flesh out areas of
concerns, identify shortcomings, and establish
any need for redesign work.

18. 10. Refine the Design
• Make design changes; modify or rebuild the
prototype.
• Make refinements until accuracy and
repeatability of the prototype’s performance
results are consistent.
• Update documentation to reflect changes.
• Receive user’s critique to provide outside
perspective to help determine if established
criteria have been met.

19. 11. Create or Make Solution
• Determine custom/mass production.
• Consider packaging.

20. 12. Communicate Processes
and Results
• Communicate the designer’s final solution
through media such as PowerPoint, poster
session, technical report.
• Market the Product.
• Distribute.

21. Design Process
Design process is a collection of
procedures and habits that help
teams design better products

22. The Process of Design
• Designing is the process of making many
decisions that converts an abstract
concept into a hardware reality.
Concept Product

23. 7-Step Design Process
1. Problem definition (PDS)
2. External Search (Research)
3. Internal Search (Brainstorming)
4. Evaluation and Selection
5. Detail Design (Engineering)
6. Prototyping
7. Documentation

24. What Product?
ToyTown Top Executives
Nail Driver
Rope Climber

25. Product Design Specifications
Customer Needs
• Climbs fast
• Affordable as a birthday present
• Fully assembled
• Uses batteries for power
• It is safe
• Looks good
• Plays music as it climbs
• Glows in the dark
• Last a long time

26. Product Design Specifications
Engineering Specs
• Climbs at 1 ft/s or faster
• Retail cost is to be less than $30
• Uses 2 AA batteries (not included)
• Has no removable small parts
• Music loudness between 20-30 db
• Luminosity is to be more than 5 W
• Works for more than 3 hours on 2 AA

27. External Search
• Level-I
–Rope climbing toys / machines
–Rope climbers (sports or circus)
–Nature (spiders, bats, etc)
• Level-II (Team uses friction wheels)
• Hoists
• Trolleys
• Ski Lifts

28. Internal Search & Evaluation
• Brainstorming
–Generate many ideas
–Evaluate against PDS
–Select one to engineer

29. Lift and Drag Coefficients
(as effected by ground promimity)
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
0 0.05 0.1 0.15
h/L
Coefficient
Drag Coefficient
Lift Coefficient
Detail Design (Engineering)
More Abstract Engineering Less Abstract

30. Design Process
• Top-level problem definition is called PDS
(Product Design Specifications)
• Problem definitions at lower levels derive
from PDS:
– Sub-system design specifications.
– Component design specifications.
– Feature design specifications.

31. Product Development Process
Market Research
Product Design Specifications & QFD
Design Brief (Mission Statement)
Product Planning

32. Product Development Process
Concept Synthesis
PDS
Concept Evaluation
Candidate Design
Detail Design
Candidate Design
Release for Production
Prototyping

33. Detail Design
Parameter Design
Candidate Design
Release for Production
System-Level Design
Prototype Testing
Components
No Numbers
Numbers

34. Customers
• People who are affected by the product
Team
Company
(Internal)
Globe
(External)

35. External Customers
EXTERNAL
End
Users
Maintenance
Society
Retailer
Buyers
Government
&
Standards

36. Internal Customers
Internal
Marketing
Legal
Manufacturing
&
Procurement
Management
Shipping

37. What Do They Want?
• End Users
– Performance & Functionality
– Affordability
– Ease of use including ergonomics
– Reliability and Long life
– Versatility
– Safety
– Low maintenance and easy assembly
– Esthetics

38. External Customers
• Buying managers
– Low Cost/Performance
– Safety
– Ruggedness (abuse resistance)
– Ergonomics
– Long warrantees
– Reliable with Low downtime
– Low operating cost

39. External Customers
• Retailers
– Small and attractive packaging
– Long shelf life
– Low cost/performance and Exciting features
• Maintenance
– Ease of maintenance

40. External Customers
• Government / Standards / Society
– Conformance to laws and regulations
– Promotion of public health and safety
– Protection of environment
– Solution to chronic problems in society
• Traffic
• Energy
• Noise
• Drugs, abuse and other crimes
• Diversity / Social tolerance / Security

41. Internal Customers
• Management
– Make a big profit
– On time delivery
– Low failure risk
– Documentation
– Process: Conformance to company product
development process

42. Internal Customers
• Marketing
– Attractive features to target buyers
– Low production cost
– Esthetics
– Attractive packaging
– On time delivery
– Long Warrantees

43. Internal Customers
• Manufacturing
– Manufacturability using standard methods and
schedules.
– Conformance to company documentation
formats.
– Use of products from preferred vendors.

44. Internal Customers
• Legal
– No patent infringements
– Safety
• All required safety warnings and labels
• Designed protection against reasonable abuse
– Codes and regulations

45. Internal Customers
• Shipping and Packaging
– Ease of user assembly
– Small packaged size
– Ability of locking or fixing sensitive
components
– Resistance against damage due to dropping,
vibrations, moisture, heat, and cold.

46. Performance cost Ease of use Reliability Safety
Users ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Buyers **** ***** ** ***** *****
Retailers *** *** *** ** **
Govrnmnt ****
Mangmnt ** **** ** ** ***
Marketng **** ***** *** **** ***

47. Product Design Specification
• Elements of PDS
– Performance (User)
• Speed,
• Capacity,
• Power,
• Accuracy,
• etc.

48. Elements of PDS
– Environment: (User)
• Temperature range, humidity, dust and dirt, etc.
– Life in service: (User)
• 10 years, 5000 cycles, etc.
– Maintenance: (User)
• What is the market policy, what customers accept
– Target production cost: (User)
• Cost of comparable products and company policy.

49. Elements of PDS
• Shipping:
– Package sizes
– Damage resistance

50. Elements of PDS
• Quantity (Manufacturing)
– Determined by market analysis.
• Manufacturing facility (Manufacturing)
– Is the design constrained by existing facility?
– Are parts to be contracted and assembled in-house?
– Does the company policy dictate certain facilities?

51. Element of PDS
• Size and shape (Marketing)
• Weight (Marketing)
– What is the desired weight?
– Should handles or lifting points be provided?
– Should it be modular for better handling?
• Aesthetics (Marketing,User)
– Color, shape, form, texture, finish.
– Market research.

52. Elements of PDS
• Materials (Marketing, Codes, Regulations)
– Left to designers unless company
guidelines or regulations restrict certain
materials (asbestos, lead).
• Product life span (Marketing, Manufacturing)
– Life of a product as a marketable entity.
Several months or several years?

53. Elements of PDS
• Laws, Codes, and standards (Government)
• Ergonomics (User)

54. Elements of PDS
• Quality and reliability (Marketing)
– Company policy regarding warranties
– Competitors warranty policies
• Testing (Marketing, QA)
– What tests would be performed to verify performance
– Standard tests

55. Elements of PDS
• Shelf life (storage) - Retail
– Possibility of rust, decay, deterioration
• Processes (company guidelines)
– Use of certain standards (GD&T for example)
– Use of certain procedures
• Time-scales (deadlines) - Management
– Whole design project, milestones

56. Elements of PDS
• Safety (User, Government, Legal)
– What safety requirements are mandated by
government
– Professional society's codes and standards
– Need for warning labels
– Likely degrees of abuse or misinterpretation
of operating procedures.

57. Elements of PDS
• Company constraints (Management)
– Compatibility with other products
• Documentation (Management – Legal)
– A product design must include a full formal
documentation per company guidelines.
– Safety, Operation, and Service documents.
– Etc.

58. Elements of PDS
• Legal (Lawyers)
– What product liability law suits are associated
with similar products and why.
– Note the legal terms:
• “defect of specification”
• “defect of design”
• “defect of manufacture”
– Relevant patents

59. Element of PDS
• Installation (Installers)
– Many products must interface with other
products or be assembled with other
products.
• Disposal (Society)
– Should any parts by recyclable?
– bio-degradable?

60. Wording of the PDS Document
• Format of most statements in PDS:
– The device must ……..
– The device is to ……
– The device is desired to ….
• Avoid mixing requirements.
– One sentence per requirement.
• Cast PDS statements in a positive
format

61. PDS is a Dynamic Document
• A design statement usually begins as a
vague statement
– The device is to be easy to use
– The device is to be safe
– The device is to be inexpensive
– The device is to be rugged and reliable
– The device is to be portable

62. Wording of the PDS Document
• Example: ESCO’s Pin Remover
– The pin-remover is to be light.
– The pin-remover must work in a wet, cold,
and dusty environment.
– The Pin-remover must be safe
– The Pin-remover must have a 3-year
warranty.

63. PDS Example
• The PR is to be rugged.
• … must work with air pressure.
• … is be easy to use.
• … is to pass “HTS” tests.
• … is to last 5 years in normal usage.
• … is to be easy to carry.

64. PDS Example
• … is to sell for less than $150.
• … is to costless than $50 to make.
• … is to have low maintenance needs.
• … is to be difficult to use as a hammer.
• … must not infringe on patented devices.
• … Production volume is to be 300 per year

65. PDS Example
• … is to be tested by June 2006.
• … is to be released by Sep. 2006.
• … is to be used with Dredge Point models.
• … is to work faster than the hammer

66. Engineering Specifications
• What is
– “Fast, accurate, high-performing”?
– “Light, Small, portable”?
– “Easy to use”?
– “Safe”?
– “Stylish”?

67. Engineering Specifications
–Verifiable PDS statements
–Developed for important PDS
statements
–Have associated target numbers
(Yes/No OK)

68. Engineering Specifications
Tips
–Set up metrics and targets so
the designer has maximum
options in accomplishing the
PDS

69. Engineering Specifications
Tips
• PDS: The Dog Feeder must not tip over
when bumped or pushed by a dog.
–Bad: The DF must weigh 50 lbs
–Good: The dog feeder must
withstand 30 lbs applied to its
top from side

70. A Typical PDS Page
• Requirement: PR is to be easy to maintain
– Primary customer: End users
– Priority: High
– Metrics and Targets
• Daily maintenance: None
• Weekly maintenance: < 10 minutes – field
• Yearly maintenance: < 1 hour – Shop
• Cost of weekly maintenance < 10c
• Cost of yearly maintenance < $10

71. Customer
Needs
PDS
Statements
Engineering Requirements Competition
I
M
P
O
R
T
A
N
C
E
Competition
Relation Between
Engineering and
Customer
Requirements
Target

72. Design is a Process with Passion
Professor Nhut Tan Ho
Department of Mechanical Engineering
California State University, Northridge

73. • Introduce the Design process: Passion and systematic Organization of Ideas
• Example: Case Study of Yoyo
• Active-learning activity: Work with you team to develop an FR, DP, A, R, RC
Lecture Objectives and Activity

74. •The Challenge
•What does Passion have to do with design?
•Control the Passion with Determinism
•Systematic Organization of Ideas
•Example and exercise
Design is Passion

75. Passion is Love, Focus, Perfection and Play
What does Passion have to do with design?*
*slide are from Slocum’s Design Book

76. “Get a clear notion of what you desire to accomplish, then
you will probably get it
Keep a sharp look-out upon your materials: get rid of every
pound of material you can do without. Put yourself to the
question, “What business has it there?”
Avoid complexities and make everything as simple as
possible
Remember the get-ability of parts”
Henry Maudslay
Passion gives FOCUS so keep your eye on the prize :
What does Passion have to do with design?*
“You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes well you might find
You get what you need”
Mick Jagger & Keith Richards 1969
(1700’s a father
of modern
machine tools)
from J. Roe
English and
American Tool
Builders
1916 Yale Press
*slide are from Slocum’s Design Book

77. What can a Deterministic Process do for me?
Control the Passion with Determinism*
*slide are from Slocum’s Design Book

78. Deterministic Design Process*
*slide are from Slocum’s Design Book

79. Deterministic Design*
*slide are from Slocum’s Design Book

80. Design is a Series of Steps Blended Together

81. Case Study – Fall 2005 Yoyo Design Challenge
Your team is charged with the task of developing a new yoyo for
fast food companies. The yoyo will be a toy in kid meals (e.g.,
McDonalds’ Happy Meal).

82. Passion is a LOVE for creating:
What does Passion have to do with design?
“Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful
engines of success. When you do a thing, do it
with all your might. Put your whole soul into it.
Stamp it with your own personality. Be active,
be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful and
you will accomplish your object. Nothing great
was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

83. Passion drives perfection and creates PLAY
What does Passion have to do with design?
“5 Point Holes” “Blades with Lights”
1 2
“Hourglass” “Pokeball”
3 4
“Push Button” “Tire”
5 6
“Basic” “Hamburger”
7 8

84. Passion drives perfection and creates PLAY
What does Passion have to do with design?
“McD’s Logo” “Team C”
9 10
“Football” “Sombrero”
11 12
“Turtle Shell” “Metroid”
13 14
“Rick’s Rim”
15

85. Functional
Requirement
s
Design
Paramete
rs Analysis
Reference
s Risk
Counter
Measures
Attractive
Appearance
make it
appealing
to kids -
glow in the
dark; neat
shapes…
Surveys and
customer
profiling
Research
different
types of
yoyo
designs
Mold
becomes
more
complicated;
harder to
machine
Make the design
as simple as
possible; try
various colors
Function Well
Must
perform in
a typical
manner;
Simple,
standard
design
a = g / (I/mr2
+ 1)
w = [2gx /
(I/m+r2
)]1/2
t = (2L/g)1/2
(1+I/mr2
)1/2
v = [2gx /
(1+I/mr2
)]1/2
Experiment
al
Investigatio
n of Yoyo
Design by
Alma
Bardon;
Physics and
Dynamics
books
improper
application
of equations;
unbalanced
design
Study
references;
Design a good
symmetrical
design; Bench-
level
experiments
EXAMPLE – FRDPARRC Sheet (incomplete)

86. CHOOSING THE BEST DESIGN CONCEPTS
“5 Point Holes” “Blades with Lights”
1 2
“Hourglass” “Pokeball”
3 4
“Push Button” “Tire”
5 6
“Basic” “Hamburger”
7 8
CONCEPTS CONT…

87. 15 DESIGN CONCEPTS
“McD’s Logo” “Team C”
9 10
“Football” “Sombrero”
11 12
“Turtle Shell” “Metroid”
13 14
“Rick’s Rim”
15

88. Design is a Process with Passion
Which one is the best concept?

89. 1 5 Point Holes 2 4 4 4 14 3.50
2 Blades 5 3 5 3 16 4.00
3 Hourglass 2 3 5 5 15 3.75
4 Pokeball 5 4 3 4 16 4.00
5 Push-button 1 5 4 5 15 3.75
6 Tire 4 4 5 4 17 4.25
7 #1 Basic Yoyo 2 5 5 5 17 4.25
8 Hamburger 3 4 5 4 16 4.00
9 McD Logo Engrave 3 3 5 4 15 3.75
10 Team C Yoyo 5 2 5 2 14 3.50
11 Football 4 3 3 5 15 3.75
12 Sombrero 4 4 3 4 15 3.75
13 Turtle Shell 5 4 4 2 15 3.75
14 Rim Yoyo 4 3 4 3 14 3.50
15 Metroid Yoyo 4 3 4 3 14 3.50
TEAM C: SCORE: 1 5
John Nguyen POOR EXCELLENT
Kevin O'Fallon
John Osborn
Marc Ouellette Yellow = 1st and 2nd choice
Rich Pascua Light Blue = tied for 3rd choice
TEAM C - PROJ
ECT EVALUATION
CONCEPT DESCRIPTION COST
PERFOR -
MANCE
MANUFAC -
TURABILITY
TOTAL AVG
AESTHETICS

90. Functional
Requirement
s
Design
Paramete
rs Analysis
Reference
s Risk
Counter
Measures
EXAMPLE – FRDPARRC Sheet for Your Project

91. Recap: Design Process
• Design is
• A process with passion
• A series of steps blended together
• Design success involves deterministic process with
systematic organization of ideas
• Homework: Teamwork assignment