Introduction to Engineering-Centered Design

William Oakes, P.E.

Learning Objectives At the end of this session, you will be

able to:1. Describe design2. List at least three steps in the EPICS

design process3. Identify resources to help with design4. Describe how users are important to the

design process

Design is…

One of the activities of engineering. Design Development Research Test Analysis Production Sales Technical Support OtherSource: Oakes, Leone, and Gunn (2004). Engineering

Your Future. Okemos, MI: Great Lakes Press.

Many definitions of design…Design is artDesign as problem solvingDesign activity as applying scientific

knowledgeDesign is a social process in which

individual object worlds interact, and design parameters are negotiated.

Source: Dr. Robin Adams ENE 696G course notes

Crismond (2007) draws from many sources in his definition of design as “’goal-directed problem-solving activity’ (Archer, 1965) that initiates change in human-made things (Jones, 1992), and involves optimizing parameters (Matchett, 1968) and the balancing of trade-offs (AAAS, 2001) to meet targeted users needs (Gregory, 1966).”

Source: Crismond, D. (2007). Contrasting strategies of beginning and informed designers: One representation of learning progressions in engineering design.

The Design Process

Few Specifications

Many Specifications

  Design Process  

Infinite Variety of Designs

Most -----Least InfluentialChoices

One Design

Design is done by many disciplines

=====>

The Design Process

Many formal models for the design process ME uses Ullman’s Model for Design

o The Mechanical Design Process, McGraw Hill, 1997, 2003

o 6 steps Engineering Your Future

o 10 steps Different Companies use different models

o They use a process EPICS teaches a model that fits our

community-based design

Multiple Valid Solutions

Examples: • Cars• Cell phones • Computers

Good/Bad Design - Activity

Think of 1 thing you think was well-designed. Think of 1 thing you think was poorly designed.

For each item:o ItemoWhy you think it was well/poorly designedoWhat did the designer understand/not

understand in the design that made it good/bad.

Good/Bad Design Activity, cont

Get in groups of 3 or 4Talk about your answersPick one or two things from the group

to present:o ItemoWhy you think it was well/poorly

designedoWhat did the designer understand/not

understand in the design that made it good/bad.

EPICS BalanceService-learning is a balance of the

learning of design and the service we contribute the communities through completed designs and support

Service• To our partners,

meeting needs in the community

Learning• Becoming good

designers, professionals & active citizens

Complimentary goals that enhance each other

From IDEO HCD

Toolkit What do people desire?

What can be financially viable?

What is technically and organizationally

feasible?

EPICS Design ProcessSix Phases

1. Problem Identification2. Specification Development 3. Conceptual Design4. Detailed Design5. Production6. Service/Maintenance7. Redesign or retirement

The EPICS Design Cycle

Specification Development

Detailed Design

Production

ServiceMaintenance

RedesignRetirement

Problem Identification

ConceptualDesign

Disposal

Human-centered Design: Basic Principles

Early focus on usersDesigning for and with usersEmpirical measurement and

evaluationIteration

Human Centered Design Formal/Informal Interviews

o Focus groups– interviews with multiple people Persona

o Prototypical user, described in detail Scenarios

o “before and after” stories of your persona using your product• Focus on the user’s need and how their life might be

improved

Role-playing: put yourself in the user’s shoes, chair, and/or spaceo Empathic modeling: Simulating the

sensory/motor/cognitive constraints

• Interactions with Stakeholders• Prototypes/communications at all stages

Human-Centered Design

EPICS Design ProcessSix Phases

1. Problem Identification2. Specification Development 3. Conceptual Design4. Detailed Design5. Production6. Service/Maintenance7. Redesign or retirement

Project Identification Phase: Goal is to identify a specific, compelling need to be addressed

Common tasks

Conduct needs assessment (if need not already defined) Identify stakeholders (customer, users, person maintaining project,

etc.) Define basic stakeholder requirements (objectives or goals of projects

and constraints) What will be the deliverable?

Determine time constraints of the project How long will it take?

Gate 1: Continue if have identified appropriate EPICS project that meets a compelling need

Example….Project Identification Phase

One of the deliverables is the Project CharteroDescription – Describe and summarize

what you or your team will be doing. • E.g., What is the problem that you will be solving

and for whom? oObjectives- List the project objectives.

• E.g., Why are you doing the project (i.e., what is the motivation or desired need for the project?)

Project Charter, continued

oOutcomes or deliverables• E.g., What are going to be the project

results?oDuration

• E.g., When will the project be started, and when will it meet the objectives and deliver the outcomes?

oCommunity Partners• E.g., With whom are you serving on this

project? oStakeholders

• E.g., Who will be affected by your project other than your customer?

Specification Development Phase: Goal is to understand “what” is needed by understanding the context, stakeholders, requirements of the project, and why current solutions don’t meet need, and to develop measurable criteria in which design concepts can be evaluated.

Understand and describe context (current situation and environment) Create stakeholder profiles Create mock-ups and simple prototypes: quick, low-cost, multiple

cycles incorporating feedback Develop a task analysis and define how users will interact with project

(user scenarios) Compare to benchmark products (prior art) Develop customer specifications and evaluation criteria; get project

partner approval

 

Gate 2: Continue if project partner and advisor agree that have identified the “right” need, and if no existing commercial products meet design specifications.

Tasks:• Basic functional decomposition

• User interaction – crude prototypes as communication devices

• Benchmark research• Customer specifications development• Develop Design Specifications - MEASURABLE

Primary Function

Sub-function Sub-function

Sub-function Sub-function

Primary FunctionPrimary Function

Sub-functionSub-function Sub-functionSub-function

Sub-functionSub-function Sub-functionSub-function

Specification Phase

Specification DevelopmentDeliverables-

oProject Specification Document• Measureable specifications

oMock-ups or rough prototypes to help narrow the specifications

Interacting with the community partneroUser-centered, human-centered

Spec or Requirement

Origin How will you know if you achieved it?

Completed?

1. Sound audible in classroom

Project Partner Requirement

Test in classroom

1.1 Sound range between 15 dB and 85 dB

Project Partner Requirement of audible sound

1.2 Variable output

2. Project should be educational

Project Partner Requirement

Pre-, post-test?Interview students?

Conceptual Design Phase: Goal is to expand the design space to include as many solutions as possible. Evaluate different approaches and selecting “best” one to move forward. Exploring “how”.

Conduct Functional Decomposition Brainstorm several possible solutions Create prototypes of multiple concepts, get feedback from users, refine

specifications Evaluate feasibility of potential solutions (proof-of-concept prototypes);

select one to move forward Interaction with users

 

Gate 3: Continue if project partner and advisor agree that solution space has been appropriately explored and the best solution has been chosen.

• Take functional decomposition and brainstorm on each of the functions• How can we ______ ?• Capture the best of each idea• Rebuild the system as combinations

Primary Function

Sub-function Sub-function

Sub-function Sub-function

Primary FunctionPrimary Function

Sub-functionSub-function Sub-functionSub-function

Sub-functionSub-function Sub-functionSub-function

Conceptual DesignDeliverables-

oProject Conceptual Design ReportoSystems level design

• Details need to be designedoSketch/mock-up/prototype demonstrates

concept

Detailed Design Phase: Goal is to design working prototype which meets functional specifications. Common tasks

Design/analysis/evaluation of project, sub-modules and/or components (freeze interfaces)

Complete DFMEA analysis of project Prototyping of project, sub-modules and/or components Field test prototype/usability testing

Gate 4: Continue if can demonstrate feasibility of solution (is there a working prototype?). Project Partner and advisor approval required.

Detailed Design Deliverables

o Project Detailed Design Report• Full details of all parts• Dimensions, sizes, all details• Documentation of all parts

o Full prototype version of project

Delivery Phase Tasks: Goal is to refine detailed design so as to produce a product that is ready to be delivered! In addition, the goal is to develop user manuals and training materials.

Common tasks: Complete project Complete user manuals/training material Complete usability and reliability testing Complete delivery review

Gate 5: Continue if Project Partner, Advisor and EPICS Admin agree that project is ready for delivery!

Service/Maintenance Phase Tasks

Common tasks: •Evaluate performance of fielded project•Determine what resources are necessary to support and maintain the project

Gate 6: Project Partner and Advisor approve continued fielding of project. If not, retire or redesign.

Retirement or Redesign

Fielded projects are evaluated with partners for repair, retirement or redesign

The EPICS Design Cycle

Specification Development

Detailed Design

Production

ServiceMaintenance

RedesignRetirement

Problem Identification

ConceptualDesign

Disposal

Iterations in the Design Process

Disposal

Specification Development

Detailed Design

Production

ServiceMaintenance

RedesignRetirement

Problem Identification

ConceptualDesign

Iteration and Test

Generate Ideas

Define Measurable Specifications

Implement

Test

Go to next phase

Generate Ideas

Define Measurable Specifications

Implement

Test (Users)

Back to previous phase

Iteration and testing

Prob ID

Spec Dev

Con Des

Det Des Prod

Main and serv.

• Document• Why advanced• Why interated

• Tests are often done with stakeholders during the design process

Human-Centered Design

Curriculum Diagram

Figure 1 (DRAFT skeleton): EPICS Design Model

Exit 1: Problem Identification Rd.

Exit 2: Specification Development Ave Road

Exit 4: Detailed Design St.

Exit 7: Retirement Rd.

Seeking and Selecting

Each phase of the design process requires creative solutions and has a divergent component where ideas are sought and

a convergent component where options are selected

Diverge Seek Possibilities

ConvergeNarrow Choices

Problem Identification

Specification Development

Conceptual Design

ConvergeNarrow Choices

ConvergeNarrow Choices

Diverge Seek Possibilities

Diverge Seek Possibilities

Why is design difficult?Engages different types of thinking

Requires designers to manage so many ideas and aspects

Addresses different types of problems

Good design… Good designs involve diverse perspectives

and expertise IDEO – industry leader in design and

innovationo Design thinking is a crucial business asset—one

that can, indeed, move a company forward and improve the bottom line. To optimize this impact, (we) advise thoughtfully structuring the innovation process. They stress working on projects that improve people’s lives..

- Ryan Jacoby and Diego Rodriguez, Innovation, Growth, and Getting to Where You Want to Go, Design Management Review Vol. 18 No. 1

Human Centered Design Formal/Informal Interviews

o Focus groups– interviews with multiple people Persona

o Prototypical user, described in detail Scenarios

o “before and after” stories of your persona using your product• Focus on the user’s need and how their life might be

improved

Role-playing: put yourself in the user’s shoes, chair, and/or spaceo Empathic modeling: Simulating the

sensory/motor/cognitive constraints

Caution!These tools should not replace getting

feedback and information from the users and stakeholders themselves!

Just because you have “pretended” to have a disability or in a certain situation, doesn’t mean you understand what it really like for those users and stakeholders.

PrototypesPrototyping….rough, quick, very

iterativeo IDEO working with Gyrus ACMI to

design new apparatus for operating on delicate nasal tissues

oPrototype: whiteboard marker, 35 mm film canister and clothespin

PrototypesPrototyping….rough, quick, very

iterativeoMouse for AppleoPrototype: roller ball from

tube of Ban Roll-on deodorant and the base of plastic butter dish

Personas Fictional character with all the characteristics of the

user Created after the field research (observations,

interviews) Members of the primary stakeholders (users) Depicts the "typical" or "average" individual in the

primary stakeholder group Include a name and picture, demographics, roles and

responsibilities, goals and tasks, motivations and needs, environment and context, and a quote that can represent the character's personality.

Personas May be several personas for the same group to

reflect diversity of that group Secondary personas, their needs should be met and

problems solved if possible. Create a common shared understanding of the user

group Prioritize the design considerations by providing a

context of the user needs Provide a human face and existence to a diverse

user group

Your Design Projects1. Problem Identificationo Using personas and role playing

2. Specification Development o List of specifications, early prototypes

3. Conceptual Designo Early prototype and proof of concept

4. Detailed Design5. Production6. Service/Maintenance7. Redesign or retirement