The Design Process Essay examples

The design process Design may be defined as the methodical approach to the solution of a problem. Fundamentally, the purpose of good engineering design is to create an end product which will not only function efficiently, but will also be a commercial success. Except in the simplest of cases, the design process is a very complicated procedure requiring the services of a number of highly trained personnel. The main steps in designing a product may follow the pattern illustrated below. Demand Before anything can be sold there must be someone who is prepared to buy it. A satisfied customer is one of the best salesmen a firm can have. It is...show more content... Thus, to increase the potential market, the product should be as adaptable as possible. It is important, therefore, to visualize all the likely combinations for which a new design may be used. Work on a new design will commence once it has been established that the potential market justifies the cost of development. Possible solutions After establishing exactly what the new product is to be used for, the design team must not be satisfied with taking the first solution that comes to mind, and then attempting a number of modifications so that it satisfies most of the requirements. To do so would restrict their ideas and probably result in a poor design. In practice, a good designer will sketch and, if necessary, lay out as many different solutions as possible, and then reject all inferior designs. In coming to his decision, he would take into account the following major factors:

(a)Principle of operation and manufacture;

(b)Requirements of customer; (c)Outside influences (e.g., competitive products). At this early stage, the designer would probably make some basic calculations, and, perhaps, also make use of experimental techniques and mock–ups to help verify his analysis. When comparing designs, those having the simplest working principle should be preferred, provided they satisfy the requirements adequately and do not involve additional problems, such as excessively large parts.