1. Overview of the (Engineering) Design Process
Lecture 2
Overview of the (Engineering) Design Process

2. Lecture layout Good vs. bad design (baddesigns.com)
User-centered Design (UCD) process
Individual steps 2

3. Engineering Design
Engineering design is the process of devising a system,component, or process to meet desired needs. It is a decision making process (often iterative), in which the basic sciences,mathematics,and engineering sciences are applied to convert resources optimally to meet a stated objective.
-ABET 3

4. Good vs. Bad Design The Bad… The Good…
First, let’s quickly look at a range of designs, in a variety of fields. Some of them are good, like this seat adjustment system. What makes it good? 4

5. Good vs. Bad Design
What about this one? What are some of the features that makes this a good design? 5

6. Good vs. Bad Design
Not all designs end up being good… Seriously, wat went wrong with this design? Someone made it thinking it would be very easy to use. No one INTENDS to make an awkward design… but how do we avoid it?… 6

7. Good vs. Bad Design The Bad… The Good…
Even designs that we consider “classic” or “standard” can be bad, for one reason or another. “It has always been done like that” is NO EXCUSE for a poor design!!
What are two things that could be improved here? (S-R compatibility of controls; reaching over the burners to get to the controls)
The Good… 7

8. Good vs. Bad Design
Much of what you will be designing is visual…software is largely visual, Web pages, signs, and so on. So you need to pay extra attention to the visual world you create.
This is from a road in Mexico. You can see this, and other examples at baddesigns.com. So which way should you go?
Quick, quick!
It really means do not go to the right. 8

9. The Ugly…
This is an actual intersection in California. Ugly. Just ugly. But what makes it so bad?
Clutter, small signs, competing signals. If you were turning left, which light is “yours”? 9

10. The (really) Ugly…
Uhh, this is an actual web page! It’s not even fake!
What do these people sell?
What is their address?
And what is up with that background image?!! 10

11. But What Makes it Good? Functionality
Efficiency – speed, performance, etc.
Reliability, security, integrity
Standardization, consistency
USABILITY !
So what is it that makes a design GOOD?
Functionality
Speed & efficiency
Reliability, security, data integrity
Consistency,
BUT MOSTLY, USABILITY
Now, how do we get there?!! How can we make good designs? 11

12. Closer to Fine: A Philosophy
…The human user of any system is the focus of the design process. Planning and implementation is done with the user in mind, and the system is made to fit the user, not the other way around….
It starts with a PHILOSOPHY that puts the human in the center of the design, regardless of what the product or application is. Somehow, somewhere, a human will be affected by your design. 12

13. “Good Design” Means
Systems are built for humans; must be designed for the user
Recognize individual differences; appreciate design implications of these human factors
Recognize the design of things, procedures, etc., influences human behavior and well-being
Emphasize empirical data & evaluation
Rely on the scientific method
Things, procedures, environments, and people do not exist in isolation
There is a secret society known as Human Factors professionals. Some of us are engineers, some psychologists, some work in other fields.
We all share a common set of principles (and a secret handshake), that include the following:
Systems are built for humans; they must be designed for the user
Recognize individual differences; appreciate the design implications of these factors
Recognize the design of things, procedures, etc., influences human behavior and well-being
Emphasize empirical data & evaluation
Rely on the scientific method and test hypotheses
Things, procedures, environments, and people do not exist in isolation 13

14. Good Design Is Not… NOT just applying checklists and guidelines
These can help, but UCD is a whole philosophy
NOT using oneself as the model user
Know your real users; recognize variation in humans
NOT just common sense
Knowing how to design a fire alarm so it will be heard over background noise is not something we all know.
The Human Factor specialist knows where or how to get the information needed to answer design questions
Now, many people claim us use Human Factors in their designs… and many do.
But let me say a few words about what Human Factors is NOT:
NOT just applying checklists and guidelines
These can help, but USD is a whole philosophy
NOT using oneself as the model user
Know your real users; recognize variation in humans
NOT just common sense
Knowing how to design a fire alarm so it will be heard over background noise is not something we all know.
The HF specialist knows where or how to get the information needed to answer design questions 14

15. User Centered Design
A way to force yourself to identify and consider the the relevant human factors in your design
Helps reduce the number of decisions made out of the blue, and helps focus design activities
Helps document and defend decisions that may be reviewed later
User Centered Design is a way to help you identify the human factors that will be important in your design.
It is not foolproof. It does not replace training, experience, and practice.
But it can help. It will drastically reduce the amount of things you need to consider in your design. It will help you focus. And it will document your design process, which may be needed if you have to hand the project off to someone else, or if you ever have a problem with the product. You can go back and retrace the design decisions 15

16. The Tao of UCD IMPLEMENT DESIGN USE & EVALUATE
As I mentioned, User Centered Design is a philosophy, a Tao, a Way, a path.
It is a circular path, including the original design, an implementation of the design, use and evaluation of the design, and further changes to the design.
There is no real starting or ending point. You may think that Design is the first thing. Ahh, grasshopper, you would be mistaken. See, even when you create the first design of something, you bring into that all the previous experience you and other users have with other things in the world. So which comes first, the design or the implementation or the use and evaluation?… I’ll leave you to meditate on that…
DESIGN
IMPLEMENT
USE &
EVALUATE 16

17. Engineering Design Process
Recognition of Need
Becoming Informed
Problem Definition
Concept Generation
Concept Selection
Embodiment
Optimization
Fabrication 17

18. Initial Processes Recognition of Need “Identifying Opportunities”
In Industry, often Marketing Department
Becoming Informed
LEARN ABOUT THE PROBLEM!
Literature Searches
Patent Searches
Web Searches
Talk with “experts” and “customers” 18

19. Initial Processes Problem Definition Most problems are ill-defined!
Market and User taste analysis
Product Specifications - Precise description of what the product has to do in line with customer demand 19

20. Concept Generation Most Important Aspect of Design
Most Difficult Aspect of Design
Brainstorming
Suspend Judgement
Bizarre sometimes is Good
Include everyone (Marketing, Purchasers, Manufacturing, etc.)!
Need MANY possible ideas! (The more, the better!) 20

21. Concept Generation (cont.)
5 Step Systematic Plan (Out of Ulrich, and Eppinger)
Clarify the problem (back to becoming informed); decompose to simpler parts
Search externally (Literature/Patents/etc.)
Search internally (Brainstorming)
Explore Systematically (classification trees, concept combination table)
Reflect on solutions/process (constructive feedback)
Parts: Power
Signal Transmission
Signal Acquisition/Processing
Transducers EKG BP
etc.
Signal Transmission: Audio IR Cable RF
Power: Solar battery capacitor RF Pickup nuclear chemical cord 21

22. Concept Selection Which concept is the “best?”
External Decision (Customer Decides)
Hierarchical Decision
Intuition
Voting among the team
Pros/Cons help team decide
Prototype/Mock up
Decision Matrices/Structured Approach (Pugh Chart) 22

23. Concept Selection (cont.)
Decision Matrix
Concept Screening (+,0,-)
Concept Scoring (weighted scores)
Which criteria is the most important?
Concept Screening used with large number of concepts to narrow field
Peanut Butter Sandwich Example 23

24. Embodiment How is this concept going to be built/made? Examples
“Off the shelf” vs. “home grown”
Manufacturing processes (importance of Manufacturing Engineer on design team)
Software
Talk with “support” people
Don’t be afraid to go back to concept selection! 24

25. From: Ulrich, “Computation and Pre-Parametric Design”
Optimization
Original
Optimized
From: Ulrich, “Computation and Pre-Parametric Design” 25

26. Finish Design Processes
Fabrication (Lets build it!)
Test it!
Refinement 26