About the Author

vii

Acknowledgements

ix

Introduction

xi

PART ONE

UNDERSTANDING DESIGN

1

1

The Nature of Design

3

Design Activities

3

Design Problems

11

Problem Structures

14

2

Design Ability

19

What Designers Say

19

How Designers Think

21

Learning to Design

25

3

The Design Process

29

Descriptive Models

29

Prescriptive Models

34

An Integrative Model

41

PART TWO

DOING DESIGN

43

4

New Design Procedures

45

Systematic Procedures

45

Design Methods

46

Creative Methods

48

Rational Methods

55

5

Identifying Opportunities

59

The User Scenarios Method

60

6

Clarifying Objectives

77

The Objectives Tree Method

78

7

Establishing Functions

93

The Function Analysis Method

94

8

Setting Requirements

105

The Performance Specification Method

106

9

Determining Characteristics

121

The Quality Function Deployment Method

122

10

Generating Alternatives

137

The Morphological Chart Method

138

11

Evaluating Alternatives

151

The Weighted Objectives Method

152

12

Improving Details

173

The Value Engineering Method

174

PART THREE

MANAGING DESIGN

191

13

Design Strategies

193

What is a Design Strategy?

193

Frameworks for Action

197

Strategy Control

199

Setting Strategies and Choosing Tactics

200

14

Product Development

203

Product Design

203

Product Planning

204

Product Innovation

208

References

213

Index

215