design process (2)

 

The Design Process represents the stages that lead to a design solution; whether it’s a product, service, experience, interaction or any other design-led outcome. Each designer, design organisation or project will normally follow a similar process of design but you will find different terminology to express these stages according to its context of application. Stages are generally shown in a chronological order but the process in practice tends to be iterative.

 

The fundamental difference, design and development between a service and a product is that a product will be produced and then consumed, whereas with a service, production and consumption happen at the same time. This means that the service design process must be more iterative and different stages may occur at the same time.

 

The 'Double Diamond' Design Process Model

The double diamond diagram was developed through in-house research at the Design Council in 2005 as a simple graphical way of describing the design process.

 

Divided into four distinct phases, Discover, Define, Develop and Deliver, it maps the divergent and convergent stages of the design process, showing the different modes of thinking that designers use.

 

Discover

The first quarter of the double diamond model marks the start of the project. This begins with an initial idea or inspiration, often sourced from a discovery phase in which user needs are identified. These emerge through market research, user research, managing information and design research. The key to the ‘discover’ phase is to expand the understanding, not just of the needs, but the wider context within which the project objectives must address.

 

Define

The second quarter of the double diamond model represents the ‘definition’ stage, in which interpretation and alignment of these needs to business objectives is achieved. Project development can take place by analysing the information and insights gathered in the ‘discover’ phase towards defining the opportunities. This allows the project management to be established and planned ready for sign off on developing solutions.

 

Develop

The third quarter marks a period of development where design-led solutions are developed, iterated and tested within the company. Key to the development of ideas is multi-disciplinary working; whether to ensure technical refinement with the required engineers and technicians, or with users and service providers to ensure suitability of addressing their needs. Prototyping and testing are aligned with visual communication to ensure all details of a design are accessible with all partners.

 

Deliver

The final quarter of the double diamond model represents the delivery stage, where the resulting product or service is finalised and launched in the relevant market. The key activities and objectives during this stage are taking designs through final testing for approval and launch. Having clarity in the targets to meet and process for feedback is essential for effective evaluation and refinement in the delivery of the final design.

Source: text based on Design Council - http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/about-design/how-designers-work/the-design-process/

 

Traditional Product Design Process Model

In manufacture, design is the process by which the needs of the customer or the marketplace are transformed into a product satisfying these needs. It is usually carried out by a designer or engineer but requires help from other people in the company.

 

The traditional industrial design view of the design to manufacture process is that it is sequential; the outcome of one stage is passed on to the next stage. This again has many forms in industry but generally follows the following stages:

 

Design Brief

The design brief is typically a statement of intent, i.e. "We will design and make a Formula One racing car". Although it states the problem, it isn't enough information with which to start designing.

 

There usually has been some process towards producing a design brief before it reaches the designer. In industry this traditionally followed some market research, but the responsibility

 

Product Design Specification

It is important that before you produce a 'solution' there is a true understanding of the actual problem. The PDS is a document listing the problem in detail. It is important to work with the customer and analyse the marketplace to produce a list of requirements necessary to produce a successful product. The designer should constantly refer back to this document to ensure designs are appropriate.

To produce the PDS it is likely that you will have to research the problem and analyse competing products and all important points and discoveries should be included in your PDS.

 

Concept Design

Using the PDS as the basis, the designer attempts to produce an outline of a solution. A conceptual design is usually a general outline of key components and their arrangement with the details of the design left for a later stage. This stage of the design involves drawing up a number of different viable concept designs which satisfy the requirements of the product outlined in the PDS and then evaluating them to decide on the most suitable to develop further. Hence, concept design can be seen as a two-stage process of concept generation and concept evaluation.

 

Concept Generation

Typically, designers capture their ideas by sketching them on paper.  Annotation helps identify key points so that their ideas can be communicated with other project members. There are a number of techniques available to the designer to aid the development of new concepts, though brainstorming is the most popular. This involves generating ideas rapidly, typically in small groups, sparking a list of ideas, most useless, but some may have the potential to be developed into a concept. Brainstorming works better if the members of the team have different areas of expertise.

 

Concept Evaluation

Once a suitable number of concepts have been generated, it is necessary to choose the design most suitable for fulfilling the requirements set out in the PDS. The product design specification should be used as the basis of any decision being made. Ideally a multi-disciplinary design team should perform this task so that each concept can be evaluated from a number of angles or perspectives. The chosen concept will be developed in detail.

 

Detail Design & Testing

In this stage of the industrial design process, the chosen concept is refined in detail, with all the dimensions and specifications necessary to make the design specified on a technical drawing or design file. It may be necessary to produce prototypes to test the working of ideas at this stage, so close engagement with the manufacturing team is essential to allow an efficient hand over of the design for production.

Source: text based on widely available source

 

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