What is Design?

Question 1

Define engineering design.

Answer 1

Purposeful activity directed towards the goal of fulfilling human needs - particularly those met by technological factors of civilisation.

Question 2

Define the term ‘total design’.

Answer 2

Systematic activity necessary from identification of marker/user need to selling successful product to satisfy that need - an activity that encompasses product, people, process and organisation.

Question 3

Define what a product is.

Answer 3

Something with being, form or shape, created by physical labour and/or intellectual effort.

Question 4

Give some examples of categories of design.

Answer 4

1. Building design
2. Product design
3. Industrial design
4. Graphic design
5. Engineering design
6. Packaging design
7. Defence design
8. Manufacturing design

Question 5

Give some examples of approaches to design

Answer 5

Original design, adaptive design, redesign, variant design, evolution design.

Question 6

Define function, behaviour and structure (FBS) and the relationship between them all.

Answer 6

1. Function - intention, purpose or duty of artefact
2. Behaviour - Describes what artefact does and how it achieves its function.
3. Structure - describes the distinctive attributes that identify the artefact and their interactions

Question 7

Define capability

Answer 7

Intrinsic quality of entity able to deliver a desired effect.

Question 8

What are the differences between total and partial design?

Answer 8

Partial is concerned with only certain influences and aspects of design. Total design is concerned with all aspects and influences on the design of a product.

Question 9

Give examples of decision support.

Answer 9

1. Authoritative response and control
2. Conflict resolution
3. Consistency and inconsistency
4. Multi-criteria management
5. Decision intel