Teaching Design

William Oakes

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. Explain why design is hard for students4. Describe at least three characteristics of

good designers

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

The Design Process

Few Specifications

Many Specifications

  Design Process  

Infinite Variety of Designs

Most -----Least InfluentialChoices

One Design

Design is done by many disciplines

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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

Learning DesignDesign is learned through experience

oExperience making mistakes, good guesses and mistakes

oExperience seeing implications of decisionsTeachers act in a role of facilitators or

coachesoMost of time spent facilitating design work

and explorationoAllow students to experience their decisions

and work in design

Different Problem Types

Logical Story Decision- Diagnosis- Design Making Solution

Algorithmic Rule- Trouble- CaseUsing shooting Analysis

Well-defined Ill-structuredMore abstract context Real-worldSingle, correct answer Multiple

solutions Constrained

Information Provided Many unknownsSource: Jonassen (2000). Toward a Design Theory of Problem Solving.

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

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

• Interactions with Stakeholders• Prototypes/communications at all stages

Human-Centered Design

Multiple Valid Solutions

Examples: • Cell phones and Computers

EPICS Design ProcessSix Phases

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

Iteration and Test

Generate Ideas

Define Measurable Specifications

Implement

Test

Go to next phase

Generate Ideas

Define Measurable Specifications

Implement

Test

Back to previous phase

EPICS Design ProcessSix Phases

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

Design CaseYour team has been assigned to work

with the local food pantry to improve their efficiency.o The initial thought it to bring software tools

to the organization

Problem IdentificationTasks –

o Identify problemoDetermine project objectivesoDetermine motivation for projecto Identify outcomes or deliverablesoDetermine duration of the projecto Identify community partner contact

Deliverables - Project Charter

Problem definitionWhat activities would/could/should the

students do in this design phase for our case?oWhat should/could they do with their

partner?oWhat “tests” should be performed or

milestones achieved?

Specification DevelopmentTasks

oComplete users and beneficiaries analysis oDefine the customer requirements oEvaluate design constraints oDevelop engineering specifications oCompare to benchmark products (prior art)oDetermine design targets

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

Specification DevelopmentWhat activities would/could/should the

students do in this design phase for our case?oWhat should/could they do with their

partner? oWhat “tests” should be performed or

milestones achieved?

Conceptual DesignTask

oComplete Functional Decomposition of project

oComplete Decision Matrix of requirementsoDefine how users will interact with projecto Interacting with users and potential users

• Mock-ups and prototypes to test conceptsoAnalyze/evaluate potential solutions

• Interacting with community partner (users)oChoose best solution(s)

Conceptual DesignDeliverables-

oProject Conceptual Design ReportoSystems level design

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

concept

Conceptual DesignWhat activities would/could/should the

students do in this design phase for our case?oWhat should/could they do with their

partner?oWhat “tests” should be performed or

milestones achieved?

Detailed Design Tasks

o Complete top down specification/ bottom-up implementation • Define components and freeze interfaces• Analysis/evaluation of project, sub-modules and/or

componentso More detailed prototyping/proof-of-concept of

project, • sub-modules and/or components

o Field test prototype/get feedback from userso Complete DFMEA analysis of projecto Determine what user training is necessary

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

Detailed DesignWhat activities would/could/should the

students do in this design phase for our case?oWhat should/could they do with their

partner?oWhat “tests” should be performed or

milestones achieved?

Production PhaseTasks

oComplete production version of the project• Ready for the field and to be use by people

oComplete user manuals/training materialoComplete delivery review

DeliverablesoDelivered projectoProject Delivery Report oDelivery checklistoUser manuals

ProductionWhat activities would/could/should the

students do in this design phase for our case?oWhat should/could they do with their

partner?oWhat “tests” should be performed or

milestones achieved?

Service/Maintenance PhaseTasks

oEvaluate performance of fielded projectoDetermine what resources are necessary

to support and maintain the projectDeliverables

o Fielded Project Report

Redesign or Retirement Decisions

Service/MaintenanceWhat activities would/could/should the

students do in this design phase for our case?oWhat should/could they do with their

partner?oWhat “tests” should be performed or

milestones achieved?

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

Curriculum activity