3.2 Framing Customer Requirements

Question 1

What are two goals to keep in mind when defining i.e. framing the design problem?

Answer 1

Two goals to keep in mind are to define (i.e. frame) the design problem:

• Clearly
• Realistically

Question 2

Describe the process for clearly and realistically defining (framing) a design problem.

Answer 2

The process for effectively defining (framing) a design problem involves:

• Clarify what the client requires
• Account for the project stakeholders
• Identify contexts within which our design will function

Question 3

What is necessary to fully understand the goals for a design?

For example in the following scenario:

• A company makes both low and high-quality tools (with a corresponding range of prices).
• “Design a new ladder for electricians or other maintenance and construction professionals working on conventional job sites.”

Answer 3

In order to fully understand the goals for a design:

• Communication is a must
• You must consult:
  
  • management
  • potential users
  • the company’s marketing team(s)
  • experts

Question 4

What questions must be considered in order to ascertain design attributes and design objectives during the framing stage?

For example in the following scenario:

• A company makes both low and high-quality tools (with a corresponding range of prices).
• “Design a new ladder for electricians or other maintenance and construction professionals working on conventional job sites.”

Answer 4

Ask the client the following questions in order to frame customer requirements and to clarify design attributes and design objectives:

1. What features or behaviors would you like the ladder to have?
2. What do you want this ladder to do?
3. Are there already ladders on the market that have similar features? Additionally,
4. What do you mean by that?
5. How are you going to do that?
6. Why do you want that?
7. Are there things or circumstances you want us to avoid?

Question 5

Creating what type of chart is a critical step when framing customer requirements?

Answer 5

Creating an OCFM attributes chart is a critical step when framing customer requirements.

Question 6

Define the following Framing Customer Requirements term:

Objective

Answer 6

Objective (n): a (required) feature or behavior that the design should have or exhibit.

Example: “The ladder should be portable or lightweight” expresses an attribute that the client wants.

Question 7

Define the following Framing Customer Requirements term:

Constraint

Answer 7

Constraint (n): a limit or restriction on the design’s behaviors or attributes.

– Is the ladder material a conductor or not?

Question 8

Define the following Framing Customer Requirements term:

Function

Answer 8

Function (n): a specific thing a designed device or system is expected to do.

• Typically expressed as “doing” terms in a verb-noun pairing.
• Often refer to engineering functions

Question 9

Define the following Framing Customer Requirements term:

Means

Answer 9

Means (n): a way or method to make a function happen.

Means or implementations are often expressed in very specific terms that, by their nature, are solution- specific.