Midterm Flashcards
Design Definition
A creative process that brings into being a new product, concept or process.
Why should you use an engineering design process? Why shouldn’t we just use the first solution that we think of when we hear a problem (biggest pitfall)?
Trying to find an optimal solution not just a solution.
The three Is of Design
Identify
Invent
Implement
Identify
Empathize: involve end user and experts
- Immerse: Experience what your user/audience experiences
- Observe: View users and their behavior in the context of their lives
- Engage: Interact with and interview users through both scheduled and short intercept encounters
Define/Identify need and project requirements
- Need statement
- Identify requirements: functions, objectives, and constraints.
- Identify stakeholders and existing solutions
Invent
Concept Generation: Ideation
- Mentally it represents a process of going wide in terms of concepts and outcomes
- Ideation provides the fuel for building prototypes and driving innovative solutions
Concept Testing
- What should you test?
- Minimum Viable Product
- Always start with low fidelity prototypes that are fast and cheap to build.
-Always test riskiest assumptions first
- Involve end users and experts
Concept Selection
Implement
Implement strategy development
Implement strategy execution
Solicit feedback- involve end user and experts
WOMBAT
Waste of Money, Brains and Time
Need statement
One sentence description of need (problem) your team is attempting to address (solve). Must be solution independent.
“A way to address (problem) in/for (population)… that (outcome).”
Pros and Cons of Observing the problem
+ “Authentic” representation of individual or group’s experience
- May not be representative of others within scoped population
- Feasibility depends on project scope
Interviewing representative people about the problem pros and cons
+ Individual/group share their experience in their own words
-Interview questions and other factors can bis responses
- May not be representative of others within scoped population
+ more feasible (virtual meetings etc)
User centered design
Involve end users, clients, and experts early and often.
Ethical Principles
Safety: Never expose anyone to physical or psychological harm
Confidentiality: Never reveal the identity of someone you interviewed
Autonomy: right to choose
Beneficence: The need to do good
Non-Maleficence: The need to do no harm
Justice: The need to be fair
Functions
What the technology must do to meet the need. All of the functions that the technology must fulfill to be considered a viable solution. Binary yes or no. Quantify if possible
Objectives
What the design solution should be ideally. Form Maximize or Minimize. Quantifiable with units.
Constraints
Externally applied what the technology must be or do. Binary yes or no.
FOC? Maximize the amount of load that can be carried- measured in lbs
Objective
FOC? Must be able to remain close to motorized wheelchair to ensure other shoppers are not impeded- measured in cm
Functions
FOC? Minimize steps required to assemble/ attach carrying device- measures in number of steps.
Objectives
FOC? Must be able to cary a load greater than 5lb - measured in lbs
Function
FOC? Must be able to complete prototype by December 1 using $100 budget- measures in project completion data and CAD
Constraint
Project Planning and Management Benefits
Plan and schedule activities efficiently and effectively.
Divide work effectively
Allocate the right resources and right time
Assess, Anticipate, mitigate risk and failure points
Project Planning subtasks
Graphical Work Breakdown Structure
Tabular work breakdown structure
Network Flow diagram and or gantt chart
Graphical Work Break Down Structure Basics
Captures all work that needs to be completed.
Hierarchical decomposition around deliverables and associated project goals
Divide project into manageable components.
Graphical Work Breakdown Structure Steps
Steps1) Identify major components of work (level one tasks)
Step 2) For each level 1 task, breakdown into more levels (level 2 tasks)
- Repeat process until lowest task level has:
1) A clear deliverable
2) A single owner
3) A reasonable time estimation
Normally 3-5 levels
Work Breakdown Table Basics
Add time to completion (include units) , ownership (only one) and dependencies.
Dependencies
Finish-Start (FS): A task depends on another task being done before it starts
Start Start (SS): A task depends on another being started before it can start
Finish Finish (FF) A task cant end until another task also ends
Start Finish (SF): A task depends on another task being started before it finishes
Two forms of network flow diagram
Activity on node (activity and time), and Activity on arrow (activity and time)
Network flow diagram basics
Must start on on single node and end on single node
Activity on Arrow
Activity: effort on a project task are on arrows
Every activity has an initiating event and a closing event (on nodes) nodes consume no time.
Activity of Node
An activity is an effort on a project placed on node.
Arrows show relationships between activities
Arrows Consume no time
Consecutive activities must be separated by arrows
Gantt Chart Info
Display tasks/activities by respective duration/timing
Chronological overview of tasks and schedule
Include resource allocation/who is in charge of each task
Should be updated regularly to track progress
All tasks must be in between start and end milestone
All tasks must be linked to both start and end milestone
Critical Path
The longest path from start to finish . Shortest possible project completion time. Any task delay in the critical path delays the whole project
What if critical path is too long?
Assign more resources to critical tasks
Subdivide tasks to create more concurrent tasks( if resources are available)
Types of Information Gathering?
Stakeholder analysis
Existing Solutions
Approaches to information gathering
Research
Interviews
Observations
Stakeholders
Any party who may have an interest in a product/project or will be affected by its outcome. Look at cycle of use or flow of money
Will either be supportive, neutral or resistant
Stakeholder analysis
Step 1) Determine who stakeholders are
Step 2) Determine impact, influence and interest
Step 3) Analyze further- Stakeholder Map/plot (Interest vs Power plot
Existing Solution analysis to determine…
- If you should implement an existing solution
- Where the current gap in the solution landscape is
- If and where there is room for innovation
Existing solutions analysis
Step 1) Complete Existing Solution Table: Research and describe relevant solutions in the field
Step 2) Plot Existing Solution Landscape to Analyze solution profile
Existing Solution Economic Impact
Minimize cost: outline associated cost+ who what entity incurs cost
Maximize Benefit: understand value by exploring effectiveness- how well does it work to solve the problem
Existing Solution Environmental Impact
Minimize waste
Minimize mass/energy balances
Minimize emissions to soil/water/air
Minimize depletion of natural resources
Minimize ecosystem impact
Minimize health risks
Minimize greenhouse gas emissions
Existing Solutions: Social Impact
Who does it help and how?
Minimize social equity
Maximize social benefit
Maximize adherence to ethical principles
Solution Landscape Graphs
A better way to visualize existing solutions information and find opportunities/gaps.
Plot two criteria against each other
Ideal Corner
Depends on criteria and if it is good or bad
If a solution meets all criteria perfectly
- Not a true need/problem already solved on that solution landscape
-True problem may be in another solution landscape - OR true problem lies in marketing or charging peoples habits
Ideation Techniques
Brainstorming
- Origional (misunderstood)
- Modification
- Brain Writing
Mind Mapping
scamper
Heuristic Ideation Technique (HIT)
Brainstorming
Coming up with revolutionary ideas. Need a group of people with lots ideas. Dont say no, add onto ideas. Use props, sketches, gestures.
Modified Brainstorming
Every 10 minutes stop and everyone write one idea down on a sticky note then continue discussion
Brain Writing
5 minute increments
3 concepts per person per 5 minutes
1 cycle of passing right through the whole group
Mind mapping
Radiant thinking
Evolutionary ideas
Consider starting with an existing solution as the core of the mind map.
Alone or in a group, works well for analytical individuals, select existing solution on leading edge of solution landscape
Scamper
7 different approaches inspired by existing products
Substitute- Can anything be exchanged or switched out
Combine- Can it be combined with another product
Adapt- Can we adapt our design to be more similar to another leading product?
Modify- can we modify the way it is made to improve the product
Put to another use- Can we reduce waste by putting the product to another use
Eliminate- can we reduce waste by eliminating mass?
Reverse- Can we reverse the design to make it better
Heuristic Ideation Technique (HIT)
Perform decomposition of two existing solutions. Use those as inputs to a morphological matrix. Create attribute matrix of two existing solutions. Explore combinations
Morphological Charts
Once ideation on each function/structure is complete, next build up several possible combinations of solutions
Novel Solutions
Added solutions must adhere to all functions and constraints. Do not add novel solutions that are not feasible; ideate further or eliminate.
Functional Decomposition
Breaks down specific functions of a machine. Does not reference parts
Structural Decomposition
Breaks down the parts of a machine
Summary of Ideation Steps
- Functional/Structural decomposition
- Ideation for each part of the problem
- Brainstorming
- Mind mapping
- Scamper
- HIT - Explore various combinations via morph chart
Multivoting
1) List/chart alternatives (no duplicates)
2) Determine number of votes per person
3) Determine method to place votes
4) Each person indicates their votes on the list
5) Critically discuss results and remove alternatives with fewest votes
6) Repeat until team has reached a manageable shortlist
7) Use a more complex and reliable technique to evaluate this shortlist
Graphical Approach to Solution Selecting
Visualize the best choice (on a solution landscape)
- limited: only considers two factors/objectives
When to use it?
- To analyse trade offs
- In user facing documents
- Support explanations in reports/presentations
Graphical Selection
- Identify ideal corner
- Draw solution selection line
- ideal corner: top left or bottom right y = x
- ideal corner: bottom left or top right y = -x+ ymax - Move solution selection line towards ideal corner
- Last solution to be intersected is best
- Change weights by alternating slope
Summation Evaluation Matrix
- Start with all solutions table
- Quantify ever column- conduct research interviews observations prototyping and testing to assign meaningful values to each row of each column
- Normalize every column by largest value in column
- Adjust for maximize or minimize criteria
- Sum rows up, rank based on summed values
- Critically analyze results, eliminate or modify lowest scoring novel solutions
Weighted sum evaluation matrix selection
- Start with all solutions table
- Quantify ever column- conduct research interviews observations prototyping and testing to assign meaningful values to each row of each column
- Normalize every column by largest value in column
- Assign weight to each criteria/objective depending on importance
- Adjust for maximize or minimize criteria
- Sum rows up, rank based on summed values
- Critically analyze results, eliminate or modify lowest scoring novel solutions
Pugh Method
Comparison of multiple potential solutions against a selected standard solution (datum)
Generally used for comparing potential solutions against an existing technology
Advantages:
- Quick and simple to use.
Disadvantages:
- Selections are often not differentiated by the sums.
-The significance of each of the objectives in considered the same
Once you select solutions
Proof of concept: test one assumption/proof at a time: test aspects of the solution most likely to fail first.
1) prototype: build a minimum model to test one assumption prove a concept
2) Measure/Evaluate
- simulation
- physical testing
- user testing
- interviews
3) Learn: adjust solutions as needed
4) move to next most risky assumption
Riskiest Assumptions/ minimum viable product
What is it about the solution that experts doubt the most?
Which performance criteria/functions/objectives were you most unsure about during solution selection?
Which components of the design are not based on proven technologies
Which combinations of existing technologies in the whole design are unproven in terms of their interactions
For your projects you should build several prototypes for one solution to learn about different aspects or assumptions
Model
A simulation of a real system that captures some of the key characteristics so that engineers can explore or solve a problem and then apply the results derived from the model back to the real system.
Can be mathematical or physical
Prototype
A specifically built one off model of the proposed design or a subcomponent of it. It is typically built with just enough care that it realistically represents the proposed design at minimum cost.
A prototype is typically a physical model but could also be a virtual model
5 prototype categories
Works like: may not look or feel like final product, but functions the same way
Feels like: made of similar material, but does not function like the final product
Is like: combination of work like and feels like, but still needs iterating with respect to looks.
Looks like- shape, color, size, and or packaging like the final product. Does not need to work
Looks like/ is like: model looks like and works like final device. May still need iterating
Low fidelity
Sketch or product
Piece of pper
Cardboard tape scissors to build
Wood and hand tools
Medium fidelity
CAD CAM modeling
3D printing
Arduinos and Breadboards
High Fidelity
Machining and manufacturing
Weighted Sum evaluation matrix
Total row score = sum( weight* M/Max )
(1- when minimizing a column)
Western World View:
Scientific skeptical. Requiring proof as a basis of belief
Indigenous world view
Spiritually orientated society. System based on belief and spiritual world
Western Worldviews
Scientific, skeptical. Requiring proof as a basis of belief
Indigenous Worldview
There can be many truths, truths are dependent upon individual experiences
Western world view
Compartmentalized society, becoming more so.
Indigenous World View
Everything and everyone is related-people objects and the environment are all connected. Identity comes from connections.
Western World view
The land and its resources should be available for development and extraction for the benefit of humans
Indigenous Worldview
The land is sacred and usually given by a creator or supreme being.
Western Worldview
Time is usually linearly structured and future oriented. The framework of months,years, days, etc. reinforces the linear structure
Indigenous worldview
Time is non-linear, cyclical in nature. Time is measures in cyclical events. The seasons are central to this cyclical concept.
Western worldview
Feeling comfortable is related to how successful you feel you have been achieving your goals
Indigenous Worldview
Feeling comfortable is measured by the quality of your relationship with people
Western Worldview
Human beings are most important in the world.
Indigenous Worldview
Human beings are not the most important in the world
Western worldview
Amassing wealth is for personal gain
Amassing wealth is important for the good of the community
Seventh Generation Principle
The decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world seven generations into the future.
Respect the world they live in as they are borrowing it from future generations
Stakeholder Analysis
-Identification -> cycle of flow and use of money
-Analysis-> Stakeholder table
- Categorization-> stakeholder map
Existing Solutions
-Solution Identification
- Analysis -> existing solution table
-Opportunity identification-> Existing solution landscape plots
Invent (New solutions)
-Decomposition(functional/structural)
-Ideation(Brainstorming, original,modification, brain writing, mind mapping, SCAMPER, heuristic ideation
-solution building (morph charts)
-analysis(all solution table, all solution landscape)
Simple models
Relatively easy, quick decision must be made, poor decision not too damaging
Weighted models
More work, more reliable results
Risk based models
More difficult more insight
What are you seeking with the invent process
The optimal solution, not a solution
Works like model
May not look or feel like final product, but functions the same way
Feels like model
Made of similar material, but does not function like the final product
Is like model
Combination of works like and feels like, but still needs iterating specifically with respect to look.
Looks like model
Shape color size and or packaging like final product. Does not need work.
Looks like/is like model
Model looks like and works like final device. May still need iterating
Safely bring astronauts to the moons surface and return them to the main aircraft. They need to reduce weight. What type of prototyping could they do to find the best method?
Feels like model or looks like, but they did looks like
Solution selection
1) Normalize by largest factor in that column
2) Check if each column is maximize or minimize.
- if maximize, sum directly
- if minimize, sum [1-column]
3) Sum up normalized values
4) Rank and eliminate or modify
