Today Lecture Notes

Understanding the design process

- successful project management requires an understanding of the design process
- each stage of the design process is unique and requires different skills in management
- each stage of the processes requires a different interface with other business functions

- although each disciple with the design field work toward different outcomes, the process they follow is very similar

- shared design project values optimises the creative and business potential of any project. It is important to know how to integrate other designers

- effective design project management save costs

Timescale

- In industry, less time is spent at the conceptual stage
- Client ants competitive advantage
- Client want their solutions quickly

The Design Process
-Identifying the need
- Research
- Concept development
- Concept Evaluation
- Detail Evaluation
- Proposed design
- Pre-production
- Testing
- Production
- Distribution
- Sales and marketing

Identifying the need

- The clients understanding of their design neds is as much important as the quality of the designer

- Why do we need to design this? – what is the business strategy, who is the target customer
Validate why you have designed something in a certain way, give specific reason on the choices made in the design process

- What evidence is there to back up the demand – customer feedback, market research?


Design Specification

- The design specification dictates the boundaries of the project and enables the design team to effectively design team to effectively design within the constraints given

- Performance - Aesthetics, appearance and finish
- Environment - Product Life
- Maintenance - Materials
- Target market - Ergonomics
- Competition - Quality and Reliability
- Packaging - Quantity
- Shelf Life Storage

Research
- User research (customer feedback)
- Market research (competitors, trends)
- Technological research (new technology, methods)
- Production research (production, materials)


Concept development

- Identifies project boundaries
- Establish technical framework
- Identifies production methods
- Developing design detailing, construction and costs
- Ensure solution fits original design specification




Throughout the design process, designers and clients regularly meet. It is important to get good feedback during your design process to ensure you are moving in the right direction

Usually formal meetings are held after each formal stage of the design process