The Design Specification Phase

What Should be Addressed in the Product Design Specification

Overview of Design Process

Another View

Design Specification PhaseWhat to Include

• Performance– temperature range

– altitude

– humidity

– shock loading

– corrosion resistance

– noise levels

– insects

– user capability

Design Specification PhaseWhat to Include

• Service Life– assessed against what?

• Maintenance– by whom?– how often?

• Target Production Cost– established at outset

Design Specification PhaseWhat to Include

• Competition– competitive products– patents– papers

• formal evaluation

• Shipping

• Packaging

Design Specification PhaseWhat to Include

• Quantity– market– production costs

• Manufacturing Facility– make it ourselves?– outsource?– what country?

Design Specification PhaseWhat to Include

• Size– constraints?

• Weight

• Aesthetics– appearance– finish

– what the customer sees!!!

Design Specification PhaseWhat to Include

• Materials– any restrictions?– What do customers expect?

• Product Life Span– as a market entity

• Standards and Specifications– do any apply?

Design Specification PhaseWhat to Include

• Ergonomics– user interface

• Customer– know what customer wants

• talk to them

• competitors trends

Design Specification PhaseWhat to Include

• Quality and Reliability– determine up front

• manufacturing process

• distribution logistics

– standards• ISO 9000

• UL

• ANSI/IEEE

• EEC (EU)

– build in feedback to designer

Design Specification PhaseWhat to Include

• Shelf Life (Storage)– very often overlooked

• Processes

• Time Scales– design time– tooling time– materials delivery times

Design Specification PhaseWhat to Include

• Testing– why?– how?– when?

• Safety– OSHA– UL– labeling

Design Specification PhaseWhat to Include

• Company Constraints– product history– manufacturing capability– financial– attitudes

• Market Constraints– know the market

Design Specification PhaseWhat to Include

• Patents, Literature and Product Data– research all the data

• Political and Social Implications

Design Specification PhaseWhat to Include

• References– “Product Design and development”, Ulrich and

Eppinger, McGraw-Hill, Inc. 1995– “Total Design”, Stuart Pugh, Addison-Wesley

Publishing Company, 1991– Personal experience, 1958-present– http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~voltmer/

EC460F00/pds.pdf