» The Engineering Design Process II

In part two of our discussion on the engineering design process I introduce what design textbooks and designers refer to as the generalized design process. Generalized, because each engineering firm or company puts their own unique refinement or corporate spin on their design process in hopes that it provides a strategic advantage over their competition. The first design phase introduced in this lecture is called Market Analysis, or the investigation of Market needs, demands and competition. The second phase is called Specifications (and Requirements), or the collecting of customer needs, performance metrics and targets. The third phase in the generalized design process is called Conceptual Design, which is all about generating the most concepts (brainstorming, visual thinking, Morphology, mapping of concepts, etc.), sorting and down selecting a few potential design that are carried forward into Preliminary Design. In the Preliminary Design phase the various winning concepts are more rigorously evaluated (analysed, prototyped, considered for manufacturing, etc.) and resolved down to the design that will be taken forward into the Detailed Design phase. In Detailed Design the parameters and performance of the design are proposed, measured, improved and optimized. If done correctly, when the design is moved forward to the Manufacturing phase, the produce is physically produced and meets or exceeds its design targets, e.g. life, performance, costs, etc. The final phase of our generalized design process is a catchall for what happens once the produce is sold, Distribution, Maintenance, Repair, …