Design Quantification
Year: 2009
Editor: Norell Bergendahl, M.; Grimheden, M.; Leifer, L.; Skogstad, P.; Lindemann, U.
Author: Petersen, Soren Ingomar
Series: ICED
Section: Design Processes
Page(s): 97-106
Abstract
Introduction of new products are vital to companies, however costly and fail at an alarming rate. This presents an opportunity for establishing internal metrics to evaluate the relative strength of proposed product concepts. The following interviews with designers and engineers assist in defining the challenge and research questions. Can concepts, design and a product's overall external performance be quantified? If so, can a chain of connections link concept quality to external performance? Frameworks for designers' verbal concept arguments are explored and the Concept Aspect Model is constructed for evaluating concepts. To evaluate a final product's design quality, the Design Quality Criteria is aggregated from literature and design awards. In the marketplace, external performance metrics for products are identified for general public awareness and investor's expectations. An assessment of the current decision-process is made, which in conjunction with the first findings provides insight into an impact and roadmap. In conclusion, five aspects of concept arguments are found to correlate with the identified key external success metrics.
Keywords: decision-process, decision-metrics, design-argument, evidence-based, concept-evaluation